A refugee support group says Sunday night's riot by 300 asylum seekers on Christmas Island, which left one man in hospital with a suspected broken leg, was sparked by security staff at the facility.

Ian Rintoul, from the Refugee Action Coalition, says security officers entered the compound at about 10:00pm (AWST) looking for 20 people they said led the mass break-out of 170 people last week.

"It was only when they captured some of those people and put them in handcuffs that provoked the response inside the detention centre. It was completely calm, completely peaceful before that," he said.

Mr Rintoul says the officers took the people to the high security management unit known as the red compound, staffed by officers from Serco, the facility management company.

"One-hundred-and-fifty to 200 people surrounded the red compound, actually got into the red compound and the tear gas was used when the Serco guards that were in there couldn't secure their little office," he said.

"We're told it might even be a rubber bullet that broke the leg of that protester.

"The idea that tear gas and that kind of force could be used against detainees inside the detention centre is an absolute disgrace."

Earlier, Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said the demonstration was over complaints by detainees that their visa applications were being processed too slowly.

He conceded "a level of frustration" was involved in the fracas which he said involved 300 asylum seekers.

Mr Bowen said fencing, accommodation and door locks were damaged during the demonstration.

"At 3:37 this morning the Australian Federal Police determined that it was necessary to use tear gas to quell this protest," Mr Bowen said.

"They were concerned that the particular protest action had the capacity to turn more violent and they took the decision on the ground as an operational matter that was the appropriate response.

"I'm advised one detainee has been taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg."

Mr Bowen says the demonstration only serves to slow the application process.

"It does not change visa outcomes," he said.

"This protest action has meant that independent merits reviewers who were meant to arrive at the island today to progress people's assessment of their claims have not been able to enter the island.

"People who protest to try and change their visa outcome or get their place of detention changed do not achieve anything. They simply slow the process.

"I understand people's frustrations inside detention, but protest actions like this does not achieve the desired result."

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the detention system is "in crisis".

"It's getting worse because this government can't stop the boats," he said.

He says the Government must adopt the "sometimes unpopular" policies of the Howard government.

"They did stop the boats, they did prevent the deaths, they did prevent the riots," he said.

Mr Bowen says there will be "an arm's length inquiry" into the preparedness and response of both the Department of Immigration and Serco.