Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's plan to reopen the asylum seeker detention centre on Nauru has received a boost after the tiny country revealed it plans to ratify the United Nations Refugee Convention.
Mr Abbott and his immigration spokesman Scott Morrison visited the tiny Pacific Island nation at the weekend to examine the Howard government-era detention facility there.
Mr Abbott wants the centre reopened as an alternative to the federal government's controversial and yet-to-be-finalised Malaysian refugee swap deal.
The government has dismissed dealing with Nauru, in part because it is not a signatory to the Refugee Convention. But it has pursued its deal with Malaysia even though it too is not a signatory.
The Nauruan cabinet on Monday told Mr Abbott and Mr Morrison its plans to ratify the convention were well advanced.
"I think it would be welcome from our perspective if Nauru did ratify the convention," Mr Abbott said later.
"My understanding is that the Nauruan government's processes have been underway and that the ratification of the convention is imminent."
A spokesman for the Nauruan government said it had pledged in-principle support for ratifying the convention but cabinet had yet to formally approve the move.
The spokesman said he could not put a specific timeline on when the ratification might be finalised.
The Gillard government declined to comment on the development.
Both Nauru's government and opposition is keen to see the detention centre reopened.
Mr Abbott maintains Nauru would be a more humane and cost-effective solution than the government's Malaysia deal.
"Let's forget about Malaysia," he told ABC radio.
"Let's pick up the phone to the president of Nauru and get this centre open as quickly as we can, which should be a matter of weeks rather than months.
"Nauru is by no means the financial basket case it was a decade ago. They are not desperate for it but nevertheless, they'd be very happy to host it," he said.
Meanwhile, Australian Federal Police have charged 18 male asylum seekers over the riots at the Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre in March.
The charges against the men include threatening public officials, use of weapons and destruction of property, a police spokeswoman said on Monday.
The men are due to appear in the Christmas Island court on Wednesday and are expected to be sent back into detention at the Northwest Point facility.
Two detainees who staged a two-day rooftop protest at the detention centre last week came down on Sunday night, an immigration department spokesman said.
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