The federal government has confirmed the first group of refugees to be resettled in New Zealand, from Australia's offshore processing centres, has landed in Auckland.
Under the refugee resettlement deal, New Zealand has agreed to take a total of 450 refugees currently on Manus Island and Nauru, over three years.
"We confirm a flight left Nauru today destined for New Zealand with an initial six refugees on board," a spokesperson for Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said.
"The Australian and New Zealand governments continue to work together to resettle annually 150 refugees from Australia's existing regional processing cohort."
The deal was first struck by former prime ministers Julia Gillard and John Key in 2013 and would see 150 asylum seekers a year resettled across the ditch.
Sources have told the ABC another 92 refugees remain on Nauru.
The Coalition, first elected later that year, had been hesitant to follow through with the agreement because it was concerned it could see refugees, who go to New Zealand, try and travel back to Australia and settle permanently here.
It ultimately backed down from that concern earlier this year.
The deal only applied to refugees already in detention and not to future asylum seekers who arrive by boat.
When the measure was finally put into place, Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie said she struck a deal with the Morrison government in 2019 that involved accepting New Zealand's offer.
She did so in return for supporting the repeal of so-called medivac laws in 2019.
The first resettlements come as Senator Lambie, and ACT independent David Pocock, hold the fate of another key piece of government legislation — the new Labor government's industrial relations bill.
