Torres Strait arrivals nothing new: Qld THE Queensland government says it has plenty of evidence asylum seekers are sneaking into Australia via the Torres Strait. But it admits the problem is not new. The government says it's receiving intelligence from Torres Strait Islanders and local police that asylum seekers are crossing from PNG into Australia and avoiding detection. Many were coming at night and the number could be far greater than Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was willing to acknowledge, a spokesman for Premier Campbell Newman told AAP. But the spokesman conceded the problem wasn't anything new. "Three years ago, islanders told senators that they knew of visitors arriving at night, well away from any designated entry point," he said. He said Mr Rudd had to act to secure Australia's northern border after four asylum seekers were intercepted crossing the Torres Strait in recent days. Immigration Minister Tony Burke has rejected suggestions the Torres Strait will become a new route for people smugglers. He said that wouldn't happen because all illegal boat arrivals would be processed offshore. "No matter where they land, if they're coming by boat without a visa they're not going to be processed or resettled in Australia," he told the ABC.