Mr Bowen won't say how many people will be transferred or reveal what he says are operational details, including the matter of unaccompanied children. (AAP)
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen is refusing to say whether unaccompanied children will be sent offshore to have to their asylum claims processed.
The government expects to transfer the first group of asylum seekers to Nauru later in the week, pending approval by parliament on Tuesday.Immigration Minister Chris Bowen is refusing to say whether unaccompanied children arriving in asylum seeker boats will be sent to Nauru for processing.
Mr Bowen won't say how many people will be transferred or reveal what he says are operational details, including the matter of unaccompanied children.
"Everybody is being sent to Nauru under the (Migration) Act unless they are exempted by me as minister because of any particular vulnerabilities," he told ABC radio.
"The message is very clear ... if you are sent to Australia by boat then we will make sure you are processed on Nauru or PNG."
If processed elsewhere a no-advantage test would apply to asylum applications.
Mr Bowen confirmed asylum seekers sent to Nauru will initially be put up in tents while work continues on permanent structures.
Refugee policy specialist Paris Aristotle believes general exemptions will only encourage people smugglers to exploit opportunities.
"What has been shown in the past is that smuggling activities tend to fill boats with people where those exemption might apply," he told ABC radio.
"In recent times, a lot unattached minors, a lot of children, have been put on boats."
Mr Aristotle, a member of the government's expert panel which recommended a return to offshore processing, says asylum seekers will continue to come by boat until all aspects of its proposed regional plan were in place.
That included processing and resettlement of asylum seekers in Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan.
"I suspect it is going to take a little while to deal with the build-up of people who have already prepared to come," he told ABC radio.
Mr Bowen admitted the issue of children was a vexed one.
"But if you have a system where you don't deal with children in a consistent way then you will have a situation where you have people smugglers sending boatloads of kids," he said.
The minister said the first group of people transferred to Nauru this week would not be "particularly large".
Foreign Minister Bob Carr says Malaysia remains "very, very keen" to reach an agreement over processing asylum seekers.
"Malaysia is supportive and they want to strike a deal with Australian and we welcome that. We welcome their co-operative approach," he told ABC radio.
"What has stopped that happening is Tony Abbott blocking that in the parliament."
Senator Carr said without agreement with Malaysia, Australia was stuck with a "less-than-full arrangement" with Indonesia.
Offshore processing was absolutely necessary and, according to one poll, was even backed by 40 per cent of Greens supporters, he said.
"We have got to make offshore processing work. It is the more humane alternative here," he said.
"As unsatisfactory as you can say the arrangements with Nauru and PNG are, they are a long way more attentive to the humanitarian needs than the alternative."
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