Backstory of a boat arrival and the bizarre day when 39 foreigners landed in a bush community. 7.30 / By Erin Parke, ABC News

“We had to laugh, but it’s also kind of serious,” one Aboriginal community resident told 7.30.

“I mean, what would have happened if all us families weren’t here? Those men would have died.

“And we still don’t know if there’s more of them out there.”

Details of the backstory of the boat arrival are only now emerging, with locals calling for more involvement in efforts to patrol and intercept foreign arrivals.

Backstory of a boat arrival and the bizarre day when 39 foreigners landed in a bush community. 7.30 / By Erin Parke, ABC News