Detainees still on Villawood rooftop

Nine detainees on the roof of Villawood detention centre in Sydney's west have continued their protest overnight, prolonging a tense 24-hour stand-off with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).

A spokesman for DIAC said the detainees were still on the roof on Thursday morning.

"The situation has not changed, they are still up there," he told AAP.

He reaffirmed that the protesters' activities would not change the way DIAC dealt with their claims.

"Their activities will not alter the department's processing of their cases," he said.

Five men and four women climbed on the roof of the Villawood Detention Centre at 9am (AEST) on Wednesday.

They say they have been on a hunger strike since Monday, and all are threatening to jump if Australian authorities don't agree to give them refugee protection visas.

The nine say they plan to jump off together late on Thursday afternoon.

The group climbed on the roof of the Villawood detention centre, in Sydney's west, about 9am (AEST) on Wednesday.

They are believed to come from China's Fujian province and have been in Australia from between two and six months, entering the country on student and tourist visas.

Their demonstration comes after a 30-hour protest with 11 other asylum seekers ended on the roof of another wing of the detention centre.

- AAP