The immigration department has been asked to investigate a series of allegations that Nauru detention centre staff have sexually exploited female asylum seekers.
These include claims female asylum seekers have been forced to strip by guards in exchange for showers.
Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has written to Immigration Minister Scott Morrison asking for an urgent inquiry after her office was contacted by distraught detainees.
One female asylum seeker told the senator guards turn off the water supply in the bathrooms and pressure women to expose their naked bodies if they want more than two minutes of shower time.
They also allege a male guard threatened to hunt down a woman for sex once she was released as a refugee into the Nauru community.
Another woman accused an unnamed Australian guard, who she said was no longer working at the centre, of propositioning at least five children and teenage asylum seekers for sex six months ago.
There's also claims cigarettes are being traded for sexual favours in the detention centre and that Nauruan guards are supplying marijuana to detainees experiencing anxiety, to calm them down.
Senator Hanson-Young said she was worried about the welfare of women and children on Nauru, where the government has one of its two offshore processing centre for asylum seeker boat arrivals.
"The Nauru camp is toxic and it must be closed down now," Senator Hanson-Young said.
A spokesperson for Mr Morrison said the allegations had been referred to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.
