People smugglers discount boat prices

The cost of taking an asylum-seeker boat from Indonesia to Australia has dropped dramatically.

People smugglers were charging as much as $US10,000 in 2013, a Senate committee heard on Monday.

But with Operation Sovereign Borders turning boats back to Indonesia, people smugglers have discounted prices to $US2000 as they struggle to attract customers.

Operation Sovereign Borders commander Andrew Bottrell told the hearing there have been 23 boat turn-backs and more than 680 asylum seekers returned to countries of departure under the boat crackdown since September 2013.

Two boat turn-backs to Indonesia had happened in November and one boat had made it close to Christmas Island.

Major General Bottrell declined to confirm whether orange life boats were still being used for turn-backs, citing concerns about people smugglers thwarting plans.