More criminals awaiting deportation

Christmas Island immigration detention centre is housing fewer illegal boat arrivals and more criminals awaiting deportation.

There are now 285 people in the centre. Among them are 96 who arrived by boat compared to 125 whose visas have been cancelled.

"My judgment is that the population on Christmas Island detention centre will include increasingly people with significant criminal history," Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told reporters in Canberra on Friday.

Mr Dutton said 21 per cent of those on Christmas Island were Iranian, 14 per cent New Zealanders and 11 per cent from Vietnam.

As well as 125 visa cancellations, there were 57 overstayers and five who arrived by air.

There are 934 people being detained on Manus Island and 631 on Nauru.