The Australian Greens is raising concerns over reports Australian Federal Police could use tear gas and bean bag bullets to get asylum seekers on planes to Malaysia.
54 passengers intercepted off the West Australian coast Sunday will undergo assessments on Christmas Island before they are flown to Malaysia under the swap deal.
Under the agreement with Malaysia, the government has pledged to put asylum seekers on aircraft within 72 hours of their arrival on Christmas Island.
Earlier today the prime minister refused to comment on reports that authorities could use tear gas and bean bag bullets, which Australian Federal Police have resorted to when dealing with unruly protests at immigration with detention centres.
"Obeying instructions is not a question of volunteering, we are determined to get this done," she said.
"It means taking appropriate steps to get people to board the plane and disembark the plane at the other end."
Counsellors would be on hand to talk asylum seekers into obeying instructions alongside security and police, Ms Gillard said.
She admitted there would be delays with processing the first boat load of asylum seekers under the deal signed with Kuala Lumpur last week. Malaysia will accept up to 800 asylum seekers arriving by boat in return for Australia taking 4000 processed refugees over four years.
An AFP spokesman told ABC News Online that officers will be empowered to use "the same options" they can use on the mainland.
According to internal AFP documents, these include Tasers, batons, tear gas, capsicum spray and handcuffs, but the guidelines emphasise that the "minimum force reasonably necessary" should be used.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young told Sky News the reports are troubling.
"I am really concerned over how this is going to be executed.
"I don't think using force on vulnerable people, on children, on pregnant mothers, is an appropriate response from a country like Australia.
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