Abbott steps up pressure to reopen Nauru

Opposition leader Tony Abbott is stepping up the pressure on the government, to re-open the Nauru detention centre.

Abbott -- who plans to visit the Pacific nation later this week -- believes the facility, which was first introduced by the Howard Government a decade ago, is ready to start processing people again.

And he has questioned how a proposed people swap deal with Malaysia is going to offer any better outcomes.

But the government has dismissed the trip as little more than a stunt, saying a people-swap deal with Malaysia is the best solution.