Pacific / Nauru

Second day of protest by Nauru asylum seekers

20:39 pm on 21 March 2016

Protesters gather outside the family compound of the asylum seeker detention centre on Nauru. Photo: Supplied

Asylum seekers on Nauru have held a second day of protest at the time it's taken to process their applications for refugee status.

The protests, which began on Sunday, the start of the Iranian new year, occupied the gates of the family compound at the Australian-run detention centre, where they have waited two-and-a-half years for their claims to be assessed.

Pictures from Nauru show the group of about 30 people, including children, holding placards that read things such as "Give us freedom."

In October, the Nauru government announced it would finalise the claims of the most of the asylum seekers on the island within a week.

It also said the camps would be opened and the asylum seekers allowed free movement around the country.