New Zealand Prime Minister Ms Helen Clark hinted today her country might take some of the 434 asylum seekers trapped on a Norwegian cargo ship off Australia's Christmas Island.
"The Australians are in touch with us . . . we are having a look to see what we can do," Ms Clark told state broadcaster TVNZ.
"We have a relatively small refugee quota a year because we don't have a big population. We are prepared to look, and I hope others are prepared to look".
A spokesman said it would be extrapolating to take her comments as a direct offer to take some of the mainly Afghan illegal immigrants. They have been marooned off the Australian territory of Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean since Sunday.
But her words seem to be the closest any national leader has come to offering to intervene in the impasse as Australia, Indonesia and Norway - where the freighter Tampais registered - all refuse to take responsibility.
However, an informal television survey in New Zealand showed high levels of antipathy towards the migrants.
According to TVNZ, 87 per cent of just under 25,000 people who phoned in did not think New Zealand should accept any of the Tampa'spassengers.