Officials from the United States are due to arrive in Australia this week to begin the process of resettling asylum seekers in the US who are currently held in offshore detention centres. But the future of the deal that was struck with the Obama administration now seems uncertain - because it won’t actually take place until Donald Trump officially takes office.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull presented his solution to a growing problem - what to do with the hundreds of refugees who tried to enter the country illegally.

“I can now announce that the government has reached a further 3rd country arrangement for refugees presently in the regional processing centres. The agreement is with the United States,” said Malclm Turnbull, Australian PM.

The one-off deal involves the resettlement of roughly 1,200 people being held in offshore detention on the Papua New Guinea island of Nauru.

“I think they realise it has to be a an established resettlement country if they are going to put up a proposition that might actually work,” said Lucy Fiske, research fellow of University of Technology Sydney.

Turnbull’s solution was in response to a Papua New Guinea high court ruling earlier this year - which ordered the resettlement of hundreds of refugees being held on Nauru. Human rights groups and the UN have raised concerns about the conditions and treatment of refugees.
 
“It takes a load off of them politically because the detention centres are an ongoing problem in terms of the people there,” said Stewart Jackson, lecturer of University of Sydney.

Under Australia’s hardline border protection policy, anyone intercepted trying to reach the country by boat is sent to offshore detention centres. The government says it’s aimed at keeping the country’s border secure, and prevent deaths at sea.
 
Refugee advocates say the latest resettlement plan doesn’t address the asylum seekers being held in detention on Manus Island, and simply shifts the focus in an ongoing problem.

“There’s still Australia in this trying to use the deal to actually get out of its own responsibility to bring people here and resettle them in Australia,” said James Supple, spokesperson of Refugee Action Coalition.

Last month, the Turnbull government introduced a bill to permanently ban anyone seeking asylum illegally, from ever settling in Australia. It said the move is designed to further discourage people smugglers.

The bill currently before parliament doesn’t appear to have the labor party’s support.

“Malcolm Turnbull needs to get his priorities right, rather than playing these tricky games, talking about life-time bans, tourists and other people never being able to come to Australia,” said Bill Shorten, Australian Labor Party leader.

The resettlement of refugees in the US won’t actually take place until Donald Trump assumes office. Trump has previously called for a complete shutdown of Muslims entering the country.

“A significant proportion of the people on Manus and Nauru who are found to be refugees are most likely Muslim,” Lucy Fiske said.

“There is only one President of the United States at a time. These arrangements have had a long run-up. The agreement was reached some time ago,” said Malclm Turnbull.

Even if Trump were to veto the deal Australia has made it clear on a number of occasions that coming to this country is not an option for those asylum seekers.

For now Australia says it’s beefing up patrols at sea - in case people smugglers seek to exploit the latest resettlement plan to further their own trade.