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Dalby could become new home for up to 1000 asylum seekers

The small Darling Downs town of Dalby could become home to 1000 asylum seekers, in a Federal Government plan to deal with the crush of boat people coming to Australia.

Dalby Mayor Ray Brown was only contacted by Immigration officers a week ago about plans to house asylum seekers in the Darling Downs town.

Mr Brown is concerned the infrastructure that's in place at the moment won't be adequate to house that many people, particularly the local medical facilities, which he said would need to be urgently upgraded.

But Immigration officials have stressed no decisions have been made on where the detention centre will be going.

The department confirmed to Seven News that it is in discussions with a number of stakeholders, including Dalby.

Nine former mining camps around Dalby have been identified as possible accommodation sites for at least 1000 asylum seekers.

The revelation by Seven News comes as a group of ten alleged people smugglers appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court today, accused of trying to smuggle 76 Afghan asylum seekers to Australia between December 2009 and January 2010.

They were arrested on Thursday and were transferred from a Darwin detention centre into police custody in Brisbane.

Bamba Maja, 27, Asran Awin, 25, Bantang Haris Daeng, 49, Iiyas De-Nyonr, 34, Geno Salim, 35, and Dahlan Karabi, 46, have been charged with organising and bringing groups of non-citizens into Australia.

Randy Ado, 22, Abubakar, 67, Sukarno, 38 and Robet Okana, 36, have been charged with facilitate the bringing of a group of five or more non citizens into Australia.

They didn't apply for bail and were remanded in custody.

Their cases are due for mention in the same court on July 9.