SYDNEY: Australia’s immigration minister has described an incident in which an asylum seeker sent himself on fire as “distressing” but said it would not change the way the government handles refugee claims.

Scott Morrison said late Saturday he was waiting to be briefed about the case.

The Tamil Refugee Council told media it happened on Friday night in a Melbourne home when a 40-year-old Sri Lankan set himself on fire by pouring petrol on his legs and lighting it.

The council said the asylum-seeker, whose name was not released, had minor burns to a leg and was taken to a Melbourne hospital after his housemates intervened and put out the fire.

He was in stable condition and was set to be discharged over the weekend.

The latest incident came just two days after hundreds of mourners gathered at a church in Geelong outside Melbourne for the funeral of 29-year-old Leorsin Seemanpillai, a Sri Lankan asylum-seeker who died on June 1 after setting himself ablaze the day before.