Riot police have been deployed to the Christmas Island immigration detention centre in the wake of violence sparked by the death of Kurdish refugee Fazel Chegeni, who had escaped from the facility.
Refugee advocates say dozens of people slept on a sports oval last night, fearing officers would use excessive force against them.
Kristina Kukolja has more on how it comes as Australia has undergone sustained criticism over aspects of its immigration policy during a review at the United Nations.
The Department of Immigration says service provider staff have taken control of detention facilities on Christmas Island, including key areas affected in the outbreak of violence.
Earlier, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said an operation was underway to restore order and those who had damaged Commonwealth property would face the full force of the law.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Dutton placed emphasis on certain segments of the detainee population.
"Those people who have been deemed to be of a high or medium risk, depending on their situation, that's how they end up in that centre. And I think it's important to bear that in mind, because we've got a number of bikies, for example, who failed the character test and had their visas cancelled on that basis. We'll have a look at their situation. There'll be an investigation after this incident. And, obviously, we're not going to tolerate criminal behaviour."
The Christmas Island immigration detention centre accommodates asylum seekers, refugees and people awaiting deportation.
Some of those awaiting deportation have been convicted of criminal offences.
Refugee advocate Ian Rintoul says most of the detainees are so-called 501s -- referring to a section of the Migration Act -- or non-citizens whose visas were cancelled on character grounds.
That can occur as a result of a criminal conviction, the severity of which can vary.
Mr Rintoul's Refugee Action Coalition says some have been long-term permanent residents of Australia, with partners and children in the country.
The New Zealand government recently raised that issue, conveying its concern to Australia over the treatment of its citizens in immigration detention.
Mr Rintoul says the Immigration Minister is now misrepresenting the detainees to try to justify a show of force on Christmas Island, along with other government actions.
"The interest that the New Zealand government, the New Zealand media ... And what generally comes from New Zealand is about what is actually happening on Christmas Island and the policy, which certainly has accelerated over the last months, of increasing the number of 501s who are removed, and that's caught up a greater number of people from New Zealand. I think the Minister has got an interest in portraying that grouping of people as particularly hard and particularly deserving of being kept in Christmas Island and of deportation. So I think it's a very self-serving description of the people who are in Christmas Island, which I think fits the Minister's agenda but I don't think is an accurate description of the people who are actually on Christmas Island."
The latest developments come as Australia has faced a periodic review by the United Nations' main human rights body, the Human Rights Council, in Geneva.
More than a hundred member states took the opportunity to reflect on Australia's progress and offer recommendations.
Country after country consistently raised the issue of Australia's asylum-seeker policy, among others, with a particular focus on the detention of children.
One of those raising the issue was German representative Franck Jarash, whose country faces the resettlement of hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers.
"Germany wishes to offer the following recommendations: To remove children and their families and other individuals at risk -- in particular, survivors of torture and trauma -- from immigration detention centres. To review the policy of offshore processing of asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island. And to review the implementation of the Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment Bill, making sure that the international obligation of non-refoulement is strictly upheld."
Many countries' views reiterated those expressed by France.
(French, through interpreter) "France wishes to ask Australia about the outlook for progress in its policy of pushing back boats containing refugees and draws attention to the precarious situation of refugees who have only temporary visas. France wishes to make the following recommendations: Develop alternative solutions to compulsory detention of asylum seekers, particularly in the case of children. Ratify the optional protocol to the Convention Against Torture in keeping with the commitment undertaken by Australia during its previous UPR (Universal Periodic Review)."
In response, the Australian delegation has repeated its position that the government's asylum-seeker policies have saved lives at sea and helped Australia take more refugees.
