Failed Afghan asylum seekers will be sent straight back to the conflict-torn nation under a landmark immigration deal announced by the Australian government.
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen hailed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Afghanistan's government as a major breakthrough in tightening the country's borders against people smugglers and non-refugees.
But he insisted those genuinely in fear of the Taliban or facing other troubles in Afghanistan would not be affected.
About 4300 Afghans have arrived in Australia claiming asylum since 2008, with half of all arrivals by boat heralding from the troubled country, Mr Bowen told reporters on Monday.
"This is the most comprehensive agreement on these matters that has ever been entered into between Australian and Afghanistan," he said.
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Under the agreement, Afghans declared genuine refugees will be allowed to stay but those who fail to meet the criteria can be automatically deported.
About 50 Afghans in Australia are currently in limbo after failing the initial immigration process, but they may yet seek a judicial review, Mr Bowen said.
"We're not going to see returns tomorrow, we're not going to see returns the day after tomorrow," he added.
"The important point is there is now a mechanism to return people and people will be returned."
The opposition cautiously welcomed the announcement but said its success would be determined by how many failed asylum seekers are forced to leave.
"The coalition has been consistently calling for the government to implement a returns policy and we acknowledge that, on paper, this is now in place," opposition immigration and citizenship spokesman Scott Morrison said.
"However, the government's agreement must be accompanied by the requisite resolve to follow through."
Mr Bowen signed the agreement in Sydney with the Afghan Minister for Refugees and Repatriation Dr Jamaher Anwary and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Regional Representative Richard Towle.
It's also aimed at helping the Afghan government cope with the return of the unsuccessful asylum seekers.
Mr Bowen said it was a "fundamental" feature of Australia's immigration policy that "if you are not regarded as a genuine refugee, you are returned".
"People who are not genuine refugees will be returned with dignity and humanity ... but they will be returned," he said.
"Of course, cooperation between our governments on these issues is vital. In recent years, around half of boat arrivals for those seeking asylum have come from Afghanistan, more than from any other single country."
The MoU includes money to upgrade Afghanistan's passport system to bring Afghan passports into line with international standards, as well as reintegration support for Afghans who choose to return to their home country.
The Australian government will also fund a housing project outside Kabul and provide skills training to Afghans.
But refugee groups were disappointed with the agreement, saying it could not guarantee the safety of asylum seekers returned to Afghanistan.
"This agreement is not worth the paper it is written on," Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul said in a statement.
"It is an agreement with an illegitimate and corrupt government propped up by the Australian and NATO forces - a government that is in discussion with representatives of the Taliban, that have been the historic persecutors of the Hazara minority."
Mr Rintoul said a resettlement compound of Hazaras in Kabul would be a target for political and religious fundamentalists.
