AN asylum seeker boat carrying Sri Lankan people reportedly arrived in the Cocos Islands on Monday morning.

A local told ABC that he spotted a 10-11 metre wooden boat approaching Home Island, with police and customs waiting for their arrival.

Awie Rasa, who was taking a ferry from Home Island, spotted the boat about 10.45am on Monday, he told ABC Hack.

He said he heard it didn’t reach Home Island, and anchored about 500m off hsore.

It is believed there were 12 people on board.

The Cocos Islands are a chain two atolls and 27 carol islands, with a population of about 600 people.

They are located about midway between Australia and Sri Lanka, but are a territory of Australia.

The last asylum seeker boat that arrived in Australia was in June 2014.