Australia's domestic spy agency will be given new powers to conduct offshore investigations into people-smuggling in laws presented to parliament Wednesday (Feb.24), the country's top legal official said.

Attorney-General Robert McClelland said the Anti-People Smuggling Bill would "significantly strengthen" Australia's border security laws by extending the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO)'s overseas powers, AFP reported.

"The current arrangements have been such that ASIO has been able to provide information if it was incidental to information they obtained as part of their counter-terrorism function," McClelland told ABC radio.

"This will enable them to specifically focus on the people-smuggling activity."

McClelland said ASIO would be allowed for the first time to use technology such as phone taps and satellite surveillance to collect "foreign intelligence about non-state actors" considered a people-smuggling threat, reported AFP.

Scores of boats carrying more than 1,700 asylum-seekers made landfall or were stopped in Australian waters in 2009, and 14 boats have already arrived this year.

The conservative opposition has blamed the centre-left Labor government's easing of refugee policy for the influx.

Tents and makeshift buildings have had to be erected at the remote Christmas Island refugee prison, which has been stretched to capacity by the surge in arrivals.

McClelland said the bill would also make it a crime to finance or support people-smuggling activities, punishable by 10 years in prison or a 110,000 dollar fine (99,100 US dollars).

"The government is committed to targeting criminal groups who organise, participate in and benefit from people-smuggling activities," quoting McClelland, AFP reported.