A refugee who set himself on fire is in a critical condition at a Brisbane hospital after being airlifted from Nauru for urgent medical treatment.

The 23-year-old Iranian man, known as Omid, set himself on fire outside the Nauruan detention centre early on Tuesday.

A video obtained by the ABC appears to show the man suffering burns to large portions of his body.

• Nauru refugee sets himself on fire in protest

The man arrived in Brisbane by Careflight on Thursday afternoon accompanied by his wife.

He is being treated at the specialist burns unit of the Royal Brisbane Hospital.

The ABC understands his transportation from Nauru was delayed because of difficulties stabilising him due to the large areas of his body that are burnt.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Omid was in a “very, very critical condition”, while Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the situation remained “very, very dire”.

Further information has been sought from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

The incident coincided with a visit from three Canberra-based UNHCR staff, who all witnessed the man’s actions.

The ABC understands the man has been on Nauru for three years.