FIVE university students have caused a stir by protesting on top of Monash University's Clayton campus centre.

About 11am last Wednesday, students who are part of the Monash Refugee Action Collective began protesting the use of mandatory detention and the treatment of asylum seekers by the Australian government.

They spent almost six hours on the roof of the campus centre before a negotiation with campus security resulted in them leaving the building about 4.30pm.

Monash Refugee Action Collective spokesperson Declan Murphy said the only trouble the protesters would face would be in the form of disciplinary hearings from the university.

"But potential ramifications were discussed by the people who were going up onto the roof and I think they all made the decision that whatever those ramifications were, they were prepared to face the risk of those to demonstrate their support for refugees and for human rights," he said.

Monash University spokeswoman Stacey Mair said the students were asked to come down for safety reasons.

"The university's main concern was for their safety and the safety of other students," she said.

"Monash University has a long and proud history of giving its staff and students a voice and respects the right of its students to voice their opinions in relation to issues in the world today."

Ms Mair said an internal investigation was being conducted but no decisions had been made yet.

She said the university did not discipline students for engaging in lawful protest activities.

During the protest, one of the students, Rebecca, said the action was to show solidarity with asylum seekers at the Darwin detention centre. She said the group was also there to condemn the Australian government's policy of mandatory detention.

"The policy is a racist one. It's inhumane and the Monash Refugee Action Collective opposes the government and their policy.

Rebecca said the protesters were aiming to open up the issue to the Australian people.

"Right now people are bombarded with anti-refugee rhetoric by the government and we want people to know what refugees are fleeing, what their plight is and why Australia should stand with them and not against them.

"It's the reason that all of us are on the roof."

Mr Murphy said the ultimate goal of the group's campaign was to get rid of mandatory detention. "We think the treatment of refugees is totally brutal," he said.

"The conditions inside the camps are totally inhumane and unjust."