Third-country asylum deal closer: Dutton

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says the government is moving closer to securing a deal with a third country to settle asylum seekers currently on Nauru.

"We have been working around the world with third countries to try and find options ... every day we get closer to it," Mr Dutton told Sky News on Tuesday.

However, Mr Dutton said he believed some asylum seekers would tell the Australian government they would be "happy" to stay on Nauru rather than go to another country because they had set up businesses and their children were being educated.