Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has called on the support of Australians in resettling Manus refugees after turning down New Zealand's help.
Mr Turnbull said Australians who are encouraging Manus refugees to stay in the closed detention centre in Papua New Guinea are not helping the resettlement process to the United States.
"In terms of the people currently at the Manus Island centre, they should comply with the lawful requirements of the government of Papua New Guinea and those people who are encouraging them to defy the law of Papua New Guinea, are not helping," Mr Turnbull told SBS News.
"They are not advancing in any way the interests of those people there who have adequate alternative facilities available, with all the needs provided for, they should move to those facilities, and they should do so in accordance with PNG. It is about time people had respect for the law of Papua New Guinea."
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Timeline of Manus Island detention centre
On Tuesday afternoon, Labor and Greens will use the Senate to call on the federal government to accept a New Zealand offer to resettle refugees now on Manus Island and Nauru.
"This is a foul and bloody stain on Australia's national conscience," Greens senator Nick McKim told reporters of offshore processing arrangements.
Senator McKim claims Papua New Guinean authorities on Monday entered the now-closed detention camp on Manus, where hundreds are men are barricaded and refusing to leave, and bored holes in the water containers.
Iranian refugee Behrouz Boochani confirmed as much on Twitter: "Immigration is boring holes in the water tanks where we had been collecting rainwater," he tweeted.
Senator McKim said he did not expect the NZ offer would encourage people smugglers, as the government argues.
"The reason for that is very simple: These guys (on Manus) ... their torture is doing nothing at all to dissuade people from getting on boats," he said.
Hundreds of refugees remain in the now-closed Manus Island detention centre in PNG. (AAP) Source: AAP
Labor senator Doug Cameron said the opposition supported acceptance of the Trans-Tasman offer, on the condition that measures to prevent NZ becoming a backdoor entrance to Australia were addressed.
"Whether we support the Greens on the floor of parliament trying to make themselves a name is one thing," Senator Cameron said.
"But we certainly do think Malcolm Turnbull should stand up against the extremists in his party and reach an arrangement with New Zealand."
Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard first arranged for New Zealand to accept 150 refugees annually from Australia in 2013 - a deal undone by Tony Abbott.
Manus Island detention centre water tanks. Source: SBS
Crossbench senator Derryn Hinch said Australia should find a way to accept the offer, but only with a mechanism in place to stop refugees then entering Australia via NZ.
"If there's some mechanism the government could bring in working with Prime Minister Ardern to guarantee these people will not use New Zealand as a backdoor to come here then I could support it," Senator Hinch said.
"In its current form, I can't."
