ONE person was taken to hospital and two others were injured in a disturbance at Villawood detention centre in western Sydney last night.

An Immigration Department spokeswoman said the incident happened during the transfer of seven Chinese nationals from a low-security area of the centre into high-security area. The situation, involving people protesting on the roof, was brought quickly under control.

One security officer received minor injuries. One asylum-seeker was taken to hospital after feeling faint and another suffered minor injuries to his arm.

Refugee Action Group spokesman Ian Rintoul said the incident was the result of mixing Chinese criminal elements in with the general asylum-seeker population.