It's been called ruthless and repugnant, the day Australia turned its back on the world's most vulnerable people.
But Kevin Rudd's deal to resettle refugees in Papua New Guinea could also be the solution to Australia's border protection issues.
Immigration law and asylum seeker policy expert Adrienne Millbank says the plan announced on Friday could remove the incentive for people to take risky boat journeys to Australia.
"What these people are claiming is that they've got to flee because they'll be tortured and killed," the Monash University researcher told AAP.
"Presumably, they should be happier with shelter and safety."
Ms Millbank said there was nothing in the United Nations Refugee Convention that said refugees should be resettled in a country of Australia's standard.
But lawyer David Manne, who led the successful High Court challenge to the Labor government's controversial Malaysia Solution, said the deal would send refugees to a violent country with ongoing human rights issues.
"All the independent evidence points to PNG being, sadly, very unsafe and also a place where there is widespread and pervasive violence, including against women, and serious and ongoing daily human rights abuse throughout the country," Mr Manne said.
He said Mr Rudd's plan was a fundamental repudiation of Australia's commitment to protect refugees.
Amnesty International Australia said the plan showed a complete disregard for asylum seekers and "absolute contempt" for Australia's legal and moral obligations.
"This is beyond belief," spokesman Graeme McGregor said in a statement.
"Mark this day in history as the day Australia decided to turn its back on the world's most vulnerable people, closed the door and threw away the key."
Greens Leader Christine Milne said the resettlement plan was "ruthless and ... repugnant".
She accused Prime Minister Rudd of lurching so far to the political right he had "leap frogged" Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.
"It is absolutely immoral for Australia, a rich country, to refuse to do the right thing and instead try and dump the problem, and to dump thousands of vulnerable people into an impoverished country," Senator Milne told reporters in Hobart.
"Kevin Rudd knows full well that even if they are found to be genuine refugees ... that country isn't in a position to offer them safety or work or any of the things that would make for a decent life."
Senator Milne also believes the deal contravened Australia's obligations under the refugee convention, saying it was a "day of shame for the nation".
Mr Abbott said the deal was promising for offshore processing but wouldn't stop the boats.
"This is Labor's fifth go at getting it right, and while this certainly is a very promising development in offshore processing, it is about processing boat people, it is not about stopping the boats," he told reporters in Brisbane.
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