The first group of asylum seekers subject to Labor's tough new resettlement policy has arrived in Papua New Guinea.
Immigration Minister Tony Burke says the group arrived at Manus Island at 7.40am (AEST) on Thursday.
"As of now they are the first people in Papua New Guinea who are realising the people smugglers no longer have a product to sell," Mr Burke told reporters in Sydney.
"The promise of living and working in Australia, which is sold by people smugglers before they push people onto the high seas, is no longer a product available."
Dr Otto Numan, CEO of Manus Island's only hospital, told AAP he checked the asylum seekers' names against the manifest.
"We are expecting more tomorrow," he said on Thursday.
"The youngest is 18."
The asylum seekers will join 26 others at the temporary asylum seeker centre at Lombrum.
Australia is installing large tents capable of sleeping up to 30.
Industrial sized kitchen equipment was also flown to the island earlier this week on military C-130s.
The asylum seekers, mainly Iranians and Afghans, were flown from Christmas Island late on Wednesday night.
They were accompanied by immigration department officials, Australian Federal Police and medical staff.
Mr Burke said "more and more" asylum seekers would be flown to Papua New Guinea in the coming days.
"Over time, every single person who arrives under these new rules will find the government is true to its word," he said.
Mr Burke said he had removed women and children from Manus Island because he didn't think the facilities were up to scratch, but they were being improved and family groups would be sent there soon.
"The fact that facilities for women and children weren't there a few weeks ago, does not mean they won't be there in a few weeks' time. The rule that will be applied applies across the board."
He accused the opposition's immigration spokesman Scott Morrison of creating an expectation that might encourage women and children to get on boats.
"There is no way in the world we are going to create a situation which encourages people smugglers to fill boats with women and children," he said.
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