The vigils were in support of keeping the Medevac Legislation in place, which allows doctors to decide on the medical treatment for refugees held in Australia's offshore detention centres.

Refugees held in detention for the last six years on Manus Island and Nauru have mostly now been relocated to Papua New Guinea.

"As was the case on Manus, the medical facilities are not adequate to deal with the impacts of long-term trauma, neglect, poor nutrition and uncertainty that refugees have been subjected to over the last six years," BVRAR member Skye Etherington said.

"The need for professional care by Australian doctors has been described as a medical emergency."

The Medevac Bill is a law that was passed by the Australian government to provide critically sick refugees and people seeking asylum held in offshore detention a pathway to be transferred to Australia for urgent medical treatment.

To receive medical evacuation to Australia, two independent Australian doctors must recommend for the sick refugee's temporary transfer to Australia and agree that appropriate treatment cannot be provided while the person is in offshore detention in Papua New Guinea and Nauru.

"Before the passing of the Medevac Bill and subsequent formation of the Medevac Group, sick refugees were waiting an average of two years (in some cases up to five years) for transfer to Australia for medical treatment," Ms Etherington said.

"The Medevac law ensures there is no longer political interference with the medical assessment and application process to evacuate people on the grounds of urgent medical transfer."

The Australian government is attempting to repeal the bill.