A group of single men has been transferred to the makeshift detention centre on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.

The 26 men, most of whom are from Afghanistan, arrived at Manus Island on Saturday, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship said in a statement.

It is the seventh transfer of irregular maritime arrivals to Manus and brings the number of asylum seekers on the island to 181.

The men were accompanied by Australian Federal Police, interpreters and medical and immigration staff.

The government reopened the Howard-era facility as part of an offshore processing regime it embraced in August following recommendations from the Houston expert panel on asylum seekers.

The centre is expected to accommodate about 600 people when it is completed.