Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has brushed aside international condemnation of his hard-line asylum seeker policies, saying Australia's border protection protections will always be "made in Australia" under the Coalition.

This came as Sri Lankan police arrested 37 asylum seekers they prevented from reaching Australia's maritime zone by boat. Sri Lanka charged them with illegally leaving the country, and their cases are due to be taken up by a court next May.

"The government remains committed to fixing the mess we were elected to fix": Immigration Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Another passenger on the boat was found to have a case for claiming refugee status and is being transferred to either Nauru or Papua New Guinea for processing.

Sri Lankan Superintendent Ajith Rohana said the coastguard handed the asylum seekers, including six children, over to Sri Lanka's navy on Thursday.