Beds are tight in Australia's detention centres but the Immigration Department says it is coping because the system is flexible.
The number of asylum seekers in Australian detention centres reportedly is beyond its capacity.
A Department of Immigration and Citizenship spokeswoman said accommodation at various sites, including Christmas Island, Darwin and Leonora in remote Western Australia, is designed to be flexible and reconfigured when necessary.
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There are 4902 people in detention, the department said.
But it could not confirm the capacity of the system, which it says is designed to be flexible.
"Accommodation across the ... detention network is tight but we are coping," a spokeswoman said.
"Any decision to expand the immigration detention network is a matter for the government."
No decision has been made yet to expand accommodation.
Chris Bowen was assigned the immigration portfolio in the new Gillard government ministry on Saturday, replacing Chris Evans.
Senator Evans nearly doubled the level of accommodation at the Christmas Island detention centre.
But the extra accommodation has not been enough to avoid sending asylum seekers to detention centres in Darwin and remote WA.
The federal government is negotiating with East Timor to establish an offshore processing centre.
Mr Bowen has been contacted for comment.
