The 10 Vietnamese, aged between 15 and 18, disappeared into the community between May and October this year and have "not been located to date", an immigration spokeswoman told AFP.
Police had been notified but said they were still "evaluating the referral" and could not comment further, distancing themselves from media speculation that the group had fallen victim to traffickers.
The teenagers were living in the community under an easing of the government's mandatory detention policy for refugees, announced last October, aimed at reducing crowding in the nation's detention centres.
Under the relaxed guidelines minors, families and those deemed "vulnerable" can live in the community while their asylum claims are processed, under the guidance of charity groups.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard was forced to expand the programme last week after failing to secure an agreement with opposition conservatives on a refugee swap with Malaysia.
The Australian Red Cross had the lead role in the vanished minors' case, but they said ultimate responsibility for their whereabouts lay with the government.
"Our role involves finding appropriate accommodation, assisting clients to find their way around the community, to access health, English language lessons and schools," a Red Cross spokeswoman said.
"The security side of things, searching for missing people and such issues is the responsibility of the department."
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen, the legal guardian of unaccompanied refugee minors, declined to comment on the case.
"The department is working with the authorities to locate the individuals," Bowen's spokesman said.
Canberra and Malaysia had agreed on a swap deal which would have seen Australia take 4,000 of the Southeast Asian nation's registered refugees in exchange for 800 boatpeople in a plan aimed at deterring people-smugglers.
But Australia's High Court struck it down in August, ruling the government had no power to ship refugees to countries where their rights could not be assured, and opposition lawmakers rejected new laws to overcome the ruling.
- AFP/cc
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