Turks who reached Melville island all back home: Vanstone

All 14 Turkish asylum seekers who reached Melville Island near Darwin last year have returned home, Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone said today.

She said eight returned home voluntarily in December and the remaining six went back to Turkey on Monday after the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ruled they were not refugees.

"The return of the Minasa Bone's passengers is a slap in the face to people smugglers," Senator Vanstone said.

"Australia will not allow criminals involved in people smuggling activities to make money by exploiting our generous immigration laws."

The Minasa Bone was accompanied back into Indonesian waters by the Australian navy after landing on Melville Island in November.

Senator Vanstone said the operation highlighted the success of regional cooperation arrangements Australia had with Indonesia.

"Our best interests are served by processing people outside of Australia and away from our legal system, which provides potential for significant delay and abuse," she said.

"The message to people smugglers is simple - dropping your customers off on our doorstop does not get entry into Australia."

AAP