How many illegal refugees were there in the year of 2008?

So far this year, about 900 illegal migrants have been found at sea near Australia, four times the number for all of 2008. In the latest case, about 73 asylum-seekers are being taken to the Australian territory of Christmas Island in the middle of the Indian Ocean for processing. Most of the migrants trying to reach Australia this year are escaping the fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The increased numbers have resulted in much closer cooperation among customs agents and police in Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia where Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd recently visited and asked for help in shutting down people smuggling operations.