A senior colleague of Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says his comments about Armani-clad asylum seekers referred to those who hadn't been found to be genuine refugees.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Sunday was confident the United States would continue to honour its deal to take refugees from detention centres on Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island.

More than 50 refugees last week left those centres for a new life in the US.

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Sydney radio host Ray Hadley put to Mr Dutton during a regular interview that a photograph of the group published by News Corp looked like a fashion show on a catwalk in Paris or New York.

"There are a lot of people that haven't come out of war-ravaged areas, they're economic refugees, they've got on a boat, paid a people smuggler a lot of money," Mr Dutton told 2GB radio.

"Somebody once said to me that the world's biggest collection of Armani jeans and handbags is up on Nauru waiting for people to collect when they depart."

Refugee advocates have been up in arms over the comments, saying it could give the US an excuse not to resettle the rest of the 1200 people covered by the deal as it seeks to cut its humanitarian immigration intake.

US President Donald Trump has previously described the deal with Australia as one of the worst he's ever seen.

But Ms Bishop didn't think her cabinet colleague's comments would have a lasting effect.

"Peter Dutton, I believe, is referring to those who have been found not to be owed protection," she told ABC TV on Sunday.

"And there are a number, a significant number from Iran, in particular, who have been found by the UNHCR to be not owed protection. They should go home."

Australia was focused on helping the US in any way it could to finish its vetting of the refugees and keep their side of the bargain, she said.