Media outlets from around the world have turned their attention to Immigration Minister Scott Morrison’s controversial decision to turn back a boat of Sri Lankan asylum seekers.

The Guardian UK ran the story on their front page, while Al Jazeera, the BBC World Service, Britain’s Independent, India’s Business Standard and the Irish Times all published stories on the government decision, according to a Fairfax report.

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The New York Times wrote a scathing opinion piece on the asylum seeker issue, telling its readers that Australia was pursuing “draconian measures”.

“Australia is pursuing draconian measures to deter people without visas from entering the country by boat,” wrote the newspaper’s editorial board on Friday.

“In doing so, it is failing in its obligation under international accords to protect refugees fleeing persecution.”

Some of the international media coverage of the government decision.

A report by The Independent also painted the Australian government in a negative light, writing that Australia was “facing international condemnation”.

“Australia is facing international condemnation after it confirmed it handed a boat of asylum seekers to the government of Sri Lanka, where they now face ‘rigorous imprisonment’,” said the article. 

International organisations and scholars have also criticised the Abbott government’s decision to return the 41 Sri Lankan asylum seekers back to their country of origin.

Another boat of 150 asylum seekers, including 40 children, is in limbo at sea while their fate is decided by the High Court.

Fifty-three international law scholars from Australian universities released a statement condemning the government’s decision to return the boat as a violation of international law.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees this week also released statements saying they were “deeply concerned” that Australia had returned the asylum seekers.

“UNHCR’s experience over the years with shipboard processing has generally not been positive. Such an environment would rarely afford an appropriate venue for a fair procedure,” said the statement.