The Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce, a group of various Christian denominations, has renewed a campaign to ensure the around 100 asylum seekers are not returned to Manus Island or Nauru.

The federal government has announced it will cut a $200 fortnightly welfare payment for those people who had been transferred and have since been living in Australia.

That contingent is also expected to move out of public housing in the next few weeks.

The taskforce has also launched an appeal for donations to help those people who can't find work.

The chair of the taskforce, the Anglican Dean of Brisbane, the Very Reverend Peter Catt, said the sanctuary offer remains in place should the government forcibly remove the asylum seekers.

The group had an outpouring of support last year with its original offer.

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“We were very encouraged by this and call on the government to reverse its latest attempt to return these people, including children, to places of harm, such as Manus and Nauru, by starving them into it,” Reverend Catt said in a statement.

"Yesterday, over fourty men and women went into an appointment with immigration, emerging penniless, without housing and terrified of returning to harm on Manus and Nauru.

“Among them were pregnant women and women that came to Australia for treatment after being sexually assaulted on Nauru.

"We will not stand by and allow them to be made destitute and forced back to danger on Nauru. When this government is cruel, the community will be kind.”

The government says the move to bring the group onshore was always temporary and is in line with its policy that people arriving by boat are not resettled in Australia.