Australia has acknowledged it has returned 41 asylum seekers to the Sri Lankan authorities at sea.
The transfer took place on Sunday.
Rights groups had raised concerns that more than 200 Sri Lankans may have been handed over earlier, including Tamils who say they face persecution at home.
The government has not commented on possible earlier cases, but says everyone was subject to "enhanced screening" to ensure compliance with Australia's international obligations.
The government says only four of those returned on Sunday were Tamils.
Refugee campaigners say Australian actions are a violation of international law.
Australia has been taking a tough approach on asylum seekers who try to reach the country by perilous sea journeys.
Hundreds of would-be migrants have died trying to make their way to Australia by boat in recent years.
Under current Australian policy, most asylum seekers who try to make their way to Australia by boat are sent to detention camps in Papua New Guinea or Nauru. If found to be refugees, they will be resettled there, not in Australia.
Australia says its asylum policy - which is also widely believed to involve towing back boats to Indonesian waters - is aimed at saving lives.
Sri Lanka has been under heavy international pressure over alleged human rights violations during the final phase of the war against Tamil separatists which ended in 2009.
Rights groups say Tamils still face violence at the hands of the military.
Australia admits returning migrants
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