Men transferred off Christmas Island

Seven men are being transferred from Christmas Island to a West Australian prison. Photo / Getty Images

Seven Kiwis were tonight moved from the under-siege Christmas Island detention centre and will be taken to a facility in Western Australia.

The men were taken to the airport in handcuffs, telling reporters they were from New Zealand, after the unrest at the centre following the death of a refugee whose body was discovered after he escaped.

Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the men were "among a group of extreme-risk individuals who are alleged to have been involved in the disturbance at the centre". He said they were on a charter flight accompanied by security officers.

"Restraints are used where appropriate for the safety and security of detainees, staff and the aircraft."

Riot police had to use tear gas to quell the uprising on Tuesday, which was triggered by the death of detainee Fazel Chegeni Najad, an Iranian Kurdish refugee whose body was found outside the centre after he escaped on Sunday.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection said the remaining detainees at the centre were being returned to accommodation compounds, which were being repaired as a priority.

It said they stayed overnight in "temporary but secure parts of the centre" and reports of detainees sleeping in cages were false.

Mr Dutton said the rioters caused more than $1 million worth of damage to the centre and the perpetrators would be prosecuted.

- AAP with additional reporting from NZME