The prime minister, Tony Abbott, says he won’t criticise countries turning back asylum-seeker boats to stop people smuggling.

Thousands of Rohingya from Burma and Bangladeshi migrants are feared stranded at sea with Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand turning away their rickety boats.

Abbott said on Sunday he was not critical of efforts made by other nations to stop people smuggling in the region.

“I don’t apologise in any way for the action that Australia has taken to preserve safety at sea by turning boats around where necessary,” he said.

“And if other countries choose to do that, frankly that is almost certainly absolutely necessary if the scourge of people smuggling is to be beaten.”

If that meant taking “more vigorous” action on the high seas or closer to Burma, so be it, he said.