ASYLUM seekers were demanding people smugglers take the dangerous trip alongside them or meet them at the destination after the sinking of the SIEV-X and the loss of 353 lives, a Senate committee has been told.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty said today that this was indicated by the recent arrival of a boatload of Sri Lankans in Dili, East Timor, where they were met by Sri Lankan organisers.

It was too early to say whether this would be a trend for future people smuggling operations, he said.

SIEV-X (suspected illegal entry vessel - unknown) was an overcrowded leaky fishing boat, which sank off Indonesia last year with almost 400 people on board.

Mr Keelty said it seemed potential asylum seekers were aware of what happened to SIEV-X.

"Those people who have paid money to be facilitated to Australia are in fact demanding much more reassurance from the people smugglers about their safe arrival to Australia," he said.

"It seems we are now seeing a little bit of a trend form, and it is too early to say how much of a trend it is, with the people smugglers having to escort them or be at each point of destination to reassure the passengers that they are going to be properly and safely facilitated," he said.

"We have not seen that strategy used by the people smugglers before."

That appears to offer improved prospects for prosecuting the organisers who, with a few exceptions, have stayed well away from the Australian jurisdiction.

Mr Keelty said Australia did have considerable success at prosecuting Indonesian crew members.

In 2000 and 2001, police arrested and prosecuted 178 crew. From 2001 to February this year, there had been 67 prosecutions.

The Senate legal and constitutional committee is examining the Migration Legislation Amendment (Further Border Protection Measures) Bill 2002, which will excise 3000 northern islands from the migration zone.

The Bill was introduced in June after the Senate Opposition and minor parties disallowed a regulation that would have done the same thing.

Mr Keelty said Indonesian authorities had diverted more than 3000 people suspected of planning to enter Australia illegally into legitimate migrations processes through the United Nations.

But it was estimated there were still 2100 people in Indonesia intent on coming to Australia, he said.