The Australian government will take no responsibility for the safety of asylum seekers who are resettled in Nauru, despite a group of refugee children living in the community being attacked by locals and threatened that they would be killed.

The group of four children aged between 15 and 17, who were resettled on the small Pacific island and live in independent accommodation, say they were confronted on Sunday by a group of locals who started punching and kicking them, telling them to get out of their country.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison told Fairfax Media the matter was now in the hands of Nauruan authorities.

"People found to be refugees and settled on Nauru are no longer accommodated at the offshore processing centre," Mr Morrison said. "This incident is wholly a matter for Nauru."