This masthead understands the men were then taken via the community’s school bus to the local airport, where they were flown out.

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When asked where the men were flown to, an Australian Border Force spokesperson said they could not comment on operational matters.

The discovery comes after a similar border breach in Pender Bay on WA’s remote Dampier Peninsula in February last year, when a group of 35 men came ashore and claimed to be from India and Bangladesh

The Kalumburu incursion is the second time officials have been called to WA’s remote northern coast to deal with suspected asylum seekers, and comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended his government’s record on border protection.

Last month, Albanese was forced to respond to criticism of Operation Sovereign Borders, a joint agency exercise aimed at cracking down on illegal marine incursions from foreign nationals that was first introduced under the Abbott government in 2013.

This masthead revealed exclusive footage of a number of crayboats the Australian Border Force had purchased to give to illegal fishers to enable them to return home.

“I said that people wouldn’t be allowed to come here unauthorised, that’s precisely what we are doing,” Albanese said after the story was published.

“The truth is there were a range of operations put in place, including under the former government.

“It’s up to them if they want to talk about that, but this isn’t anything new to the government that I lead.”