Refugee advocates say all asylum seeker families held on Australia's Manus Island immigration detention centre will be removed within the next 10 days.
GetUp and ChilOut say up to 40 asylum seekers held on the facility's family compound and another 30 vulnerable male asylum seekers are currently being flown to Christmas Island.
The immigration department confirmed 70 people, made up of family groups and single adult males, were being relocated from the Papua New Guinean island to Australia.
But the department did not give further details on where they were being taken to or whether the transfer marked a change in the make-up of the detainees on Manus. GetUp said it "understood" there were plans for all families on Manus Island to be removed within the next 10 days.
The group's consultant on asylum seekers, Leila Druery, says families are relieved to be off the island.
"After months in these unacceptable conditions, they feel part of their suffering is being eased," Ms Druery said in a statement on Thursday.
"Obviously there are still other families on Manus Island and they must also be brought to Australia immediately."
ChilOut campaign director Sophie Peer said removing children from Manus would be a "terrific" decision.
