Asylum seekers are being moved out of an immigration detention centre northeast of Perth and into a Darwin facility following rooftop protests last week.
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection did not specifically confirm an ABC report that a group of 87 people were due to leave the Yongah Hill facility in Western Australia on Tuesday morning, but indicated moves are underway.
"Detainee transfers are routine for the department and can take place for a number of reasons, including medical appointments and operational purposes," it said in an emailed statement.
"The department does not comment on operational matters in the detention network."
Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul said he expected all of the asylum seekers at Yongah Hill, who comprise roughly half of about 400 detainees, would be moved out by the weekend.
The other half are known as "501s" - people who have breached their visa conditions by overstaying or committing an offence.
Mr Rintoul said the moves were part of a strategy to consolidate asylum seeker detainees at Wickham Point detention centre near Darwin and were unsurprising following an overnight rooftop protest at Yongah Hill last week.
He said detainees had reported being manhandled as guards tried to lock down the facility, with one man tackled when he got off the roof.
The asylum seekers had been protesting long delays with processing their bids to remain in Australia.
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