The Federal Government has confirmed what it describes as a series of "minor self-harm incidents" at the immigration detention centre on Christmas Island.

Refugee supporters say nine mothers have attempted suicide this week in the hope their orphaned children would be able to live in Australia.

A separate woman is also understood to have tried to take her life.

Shire president of Christmas Island, Gordon Thomson, says she is now in hospital receiving care.

"On Sunday night a young woman, not a mother, jumped off a roof at Phosphate Hill. So the mood of the place, the spirit of the place, is desperate and desperate measures are being taken," he said.

The figure of 10 women attempting suicide at Christmas Island was confirmed by Human Rights Commission president Gillian Triggs last night and led to the Prime Minister Tony Abbott to reaffirm that the Government's asylum seeker policy will not be held "over a moral barrel".

"If true, it is a harrowing tale," Mr Abbott told the Channel Nine.

"[But] this is not going to be a government which has our policy driven by people who are attempting to hold us over a moral barrel. We won't be driven by that.

"I don't believe any Australian would want us to capitulate to moral blackmail."

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has again defended the Government's handing of asylum seekers during a visit to Sri Lanka.

Senator Abetz says refugee advocates' reports 'overblown'

Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul says the women are concerned because their children are sick, and have asked to be sent to Nauru to escape the conditions on Christmas Island.

But the Government's Leader in the Senate Eric Abetz says the reports from refugee advocates are overblown.

"On the information that I have in front of me there is no basis to the claims that up to 12 women have attempted suicide at Christmas Island detention facilities," he said.

"A small number of minor self-harm incidents have recently occurred and those involved are receiving proper and appropriate medical and other support."

Mr Thomson says the nine mothers have not tried to commit suicide, "they have said they intend to".

He says each of the nine women have babies aged under one.

Mr Thomson says the women have no partners and have been told in the last few days by the Immigration Department that they will be sent to either Manus Island or Nauru.

"Some of them have other children. One woman has four children under the age of four," Mr Thomson said.

"Each of the nine women are saying that they will do away with themselves because they see that the only way that their children can have a future is to be free in Australia and the only way that is possible is they take their own lives.

"That is what they have said. That is their intention."

Supervision by male guards 'creating problems'

The women are all under constant watch by male officers. Mr Thomson says this is creating problems.

"That means they have an officer on them day and night whether they in the bathroom whether they are breastfeeding," he said.

"They are sleeping, they are sitting, they are eating, whatever they do there is an officer within two metres at all times."

Senator Abetz says he has no advice that women are being closely guarded by male officers but all detainees receive "professional health care in line with professional community standards".

In a statement, the Immigration Minister says the care "includes access to antenatal classes and check-ups and postnatal support and health assessments".

"Mental health support in immigration detention facilities includes mental health nurses, counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists where required," Mr Morrison said.

Greens immigration spokeswoman Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says she has spoken to people working inside the Christmas Island detention centre.

She says the situation is distressing.

"Mothers contemplating harming themselves, sacrificing their own lives in desperation of giving their children a future. This is an appalling human rights situation," she said.

Senator Hanson-Young says she rejects the Prime Minister's description of the women in detention as committing blackmail.

"(It is a) little hard to succumb to moral blackmail when you're already morally bankrupt," she said.

"This Government's policy is forcing such desperate, already desperate and vulnerable people to a point of self-destruction."

Morrison denies claims Sri Lankans were abused

In Sri Lanka, Mr Morrison has been defending the forced return of group of 41 Sri Lankans intercepted close to the Cocos Islands.

Some of the group claim they were abused, given little food and treated "worse than dogs" by Australian authorities mid-sea after their boat was turned back.

Mr Morrison says the claims are without merit.

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"I find those allegations offensive and reject them absolutely," he told reporters after attending a ceremony with Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa to commission two boats donated by Australia to combat people-smuggling.

"We don't have those concerns (of abuse back home), based on the assurances (from Colombo) to the previous (Australian) government," he said at Colombo harbour.

Mr Morrison also said he did not think the group of 41 Sri Lankans would suffer mistreatment back home as a result of attempting the trip to Australia.

The group, which includes four women and nine children, have appeared in court charged with illegally leaving the country.

Twenty-seven people in that group have been bailed by a court in Galle, while five people have been remanded in custody. Their next court hearing is July 14.

Meanwhile, the fate of a group of 153 Tamil asylum seekers remains uncertain, with India confirming it is not in negotiations to take them.

The large group, which includes children as young as two, left India last month in a boat for Australia.

They are being held on a Customs vessel and could be there for weeks while the High Court decides their future.

Mr Morrison has declined to comment on the larger group, saying the matter is still before the courts.

However, the Government has given an undertaking in the court not to return the asylum seekers to Sri Lanka without three days' notice.

India, Sri Lanka won't take the Tamil asylum seekers

Sri Lanka has indicated it will not take them back.

India's High Commissioner to Australia, Biren Nanda, says India is not involved.

"We have had no communication oral or written from the Australian Government regarding this case," he said.

Mr Nanda says there is no confirmation the boat started its journey in the Indian state of Pondicherry.

"We have had no official communication and no information on the present case," he said.

"All I have seen exactly what you have seen. Media reports in newspapers, radio.. in fact I got the information first from the ABC radio news."

Mr Nanda says he cannot say what would happen if it is confirmed that the asylum seekers came from a Tamil refugee camp in India.

"That is a hypothetical question at the moment. If a formal communication comes we will investigate the matter and we will take appropriate action in concert with our obligations," he said.

Papua New Guinea and Nauru both have Australia-run offshore processing centres and their governments have also been approached for comment.