(Transcript from SBS World News)
Nauruan police say they are satisfied they acted within the law in detaining hundreds of refugees, including at least one child.
The arrests come amid escalating tensions on the island, with refugees released into the community saying they are being treated as second class citizens.
Sacha Payne reports.
(Click on the audio tab above to hear the full report)
Refugees vent their anger about what they say is second-class treatment on Nauru and the Australian government's refusal to resettle them in Australia.
A 13-year-old boy was among those arrested, with Nauruan authorities claiming he threw rocks, injuring a police officer.
Nauruan police say all 183 people arrested have now been released on bail, including the boy.
At least ten are expected to appear in court later this month, and are expected to be charged with unlawful assembly.
One of the refugees living on Nauru, 23-year-old Iranian Sahar Ashouri, says because of growing tensions with locals on the island, she now fears for their safety.
"It is dangerous and frightening and I am afraid to go out of the house and I lock the door and I'm waiting here with my sister and my mum to get more news. We don't know what will be happening in the future, the next day and we don't know, we don't know."
Ms Ashour says she felt safer in immigration detention.
"We were safe in camps, with security, with Australian security, but here we are left with local people, local people they are out there, every corner but they want to target refugees, they wanted to charge people. They don't want refugees, they don't want money from Australian government. They don't want us. They don't help people. We were protesting and we were crying, but they locked (us up)."
Nauru's deputy police chief, Superintendent Kalinda Blake denies refugees are being targetted.
"There is no different laws for refugees and different laws for Naruans, they are the same. Gathering in groups there is a criminal code for unlawful assembly for three or more persons."
The Refugee Action Collective's Margaret Sinclair is concerned about what will happen to the refugees who have been charged.
"The main concern is the sorts of repercussions after going to court, what sort of legal representation they might possibly be able to have and I suppose the concerns over the last few days have been about the conditions they've been held in, while on Nauru."
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says the refugee demonstrations will have no influence on the Australian government's policies.
But Sarah Hanson-Young from the Australian Greens says offshore detention must end.
"We know the tensions there are getting worse day by day. Refugees do not feel safe. They don't feel safe from the locals and they don't feel safe from the local authorities. There is footage and photos of police being violent towards asylum seekers, including children, and the Australian government can't keep washing its hands of the conditions there and the treatment of people."
Meanwhile, advocates say the current unrest increases their concern for the more than 100 children who remain in the detention centre on Nauru.
The Tamil Refugee Council's Trevor Grant claims one four-year-old girl has lost 15 per cent of her bodyweight, hardly eats and is in constant distress.
"It is just a terrible existence for kids. The little girl Febrina, noticed that some of the people on Nauru were being sent back to Australia for various medical problems, such as a brokenִԴԴݽ¦Û¼§Ò·£|vw'4`EYf
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