Five Vietnamese men have escaped from a detention centre east of Perth.
An immigration department spokesman says the men escaped from the Yongah Hill Detention Centre at Northam before midnight (WST) on Saturday.
Police joined a search of the centre and the surrounding area but failed to find any sign of the missing five.
The spokesman says centre operator Serco has been asked for a report as part of an investigation into the incident.
"The missing people pose no risk to the community," he told AAP.
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"They're in administrative detention - it's not a custodial thing."
The spokesman was unable to say how the men escaped.
The search continues.
