Police are searching for a man who escaped from Sydney's Villawood immigration detention centre.
Police say they were contacted by staff at the centre about 9pm (AEDT) on Monday after they discovered the 33-year-old detainee missing during a roll call.
Police searched the surrounding are with the help of a dog unit without success.
The man is described as being of Caucasian appearance, 195cm tall with a thin to athletic build, shaved head and tattoo of a Chinese symbol on the left side of his neck.
He was last seen wearing a black hooded jumper, dark-coloured three-quarter length pants nad dark-coloured shoes.
A spokesman for the department of immigration confirmed the man had escaped from the centre but was unable to confirm his nationality.
Refugee advocates said the man, who they believe is Belgian, managed to escape from the centre following a fight inside Stage 1, the most secure section of the centre.
Jamal Daoud of the Social Justice Network said the detainee escaped from a broken window after a fight broke out between about 15 New Zealand, African and Belgian detainees.
The immigration department spokesman said the reports of a fight were being investigated.
Anyone with information on the man's whereabouts is being urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
