THE 157 Tamil asylum seekers brought to the Australian mainland last week after a month at sea have been flown to Nauru in a secret overnight operation, after all refused offers to return to India.

The Saturday Telegraph understands the group — the first asylum seekers to set foot in Australia since last year — were due to arrive at the Nauru detention centre in the early hours of this morning.

It is believed three aircraft, leaving at one-hour intervals from 9.30pm last night, were commissioned by the government after a final offer for their safe return to India was rejected by the boat people.

Immigration minister Scott Morrison confirmed the operation was under way last night, after the group was again offered access to legal advice and Indian consular officials about their possible return to India.

Mr Morrison said all 157 including 50 children — none unaccompanied — had refused to talk to the Indian High Commissioner.

Mr Morrison said if refugee advocate groups and lawyers — who he labelled “boat chasers” — had advised the group not to take the Indian deal, then they had left their clients in a worse state than before they began their journey.

But the lawyer representing the group, George Newhouse, denied any such advice was given to them.

He said at no stage were any of the asylum seekers advised not to speak to the Indian officials.

Despite the majority being originally from Sri Lanka, they had set sail in late June from the Tamil homeland in India, Tamil Nadu.

“There were only ever two options here, return to India or offshore processing on Nauru. The government was clear about this,” Mr Morrison said.

“Those who have been transferred to Nauru will now likely never go back to India and will certainly never be resettled in Australia.’’