more tear gas used on detainees

Tear gas was used again overnight to quell another protest by detainees on Christmas Island after asylum seekers threw rocks at Australian Federal Police officers.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said today the protest happened last night, but the situation was brought under control.

He said around 250 detainees were involved in the protest.

Immigration officials lost control of Christmas Island's main detention centre during the protest in which detainees demanded to be released.

Staff were evacuated from the central part of the compound as security guards scrambled to regain control of the North West Point Centre.

Firefighters were sent in after two wheelie bins were set ablaze.

The protests, over the length of time taken to process refugee claims, came after days of violent unrest.

Earlier yesterday, more than 100 rioting asylum seekers stared down the Federal Government when immigration officials caved in to their demands to be transferred from Christmas Island to the mainland.

The transfer to Darwin of the core group of troublemakers - who on Sunday night went on a rampage, forcing security staff to barricade themselves in rooms at the maximum security detention centre - came as the Federal Government held emergency meetings with worried islanders.

Four busloads of men from the main compound were packed on to a jet at noon yesterday and several more flights are scheduled in coming days.

The number of asylum seekers on the island has dropped from about 3000 in December to about 2500 and the Government intends to keep moving people to detention centres such as Curtin, near Derby, until the Christmas Island population is closer to 2000.

Australian Federal Police reinforcements have arrived on the island and firefighters have been flown in to support local volunteers in case of further trouble.

Last night, a spokesman for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship said order had been restored to the compound and the protest, which was continuing, had become peaceful.

Julia Gillard defended the level of force used against detainees during the Sunday riot. The Federal police used tear gas and 12-gauge "bean bag" rounds to break up a mob of about 300 asylum seekers.

The Prime Minister warned she was not going to second-guess the actions of police in the field.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen insisted it was only a small minority in the camps who were determined to cause trouble and most asylum seekers on Christmas Island were well behaved.

Efforts to reduce the population will be tested with the imminent arrival of two more boatloads of asylum seekers.

Passengers and crew from a boat detected off the coast of Broome a few days ago will soon be brought ashore at Flying Fish Cove.

And a boat carrying 48 passengers and two crew was discovered north of Ashmore Reef yesterday.