Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has defended frontbencher Scott Morrison's conduct as immigration minister, arguing he did an "outstanding job" in stopping the people smuggling trade.

Key points: Document shows Morrison agreed department should ask ASIO to slow down security checks for asylum seekers so deadlines would be missed

Document shows Morrison agreed department should ask ASIO to slow down security checks for asylum seekers so deadlines would be missed PM says Government "makes no apologies" for its border protection policies

PM says Government "makes no apologies" for its border protection policies Advocacy groups criticise "cruel and punitive approach" to asylum seekers

The ABC has revealed cabinet documents from 2014 that show Mr Morrison agreed that the nation's domestic spy agency should delay security checks to try to prevent asylum seekers from being granted permanent protection visas.

Mr Turnbull has defended his now-Treasurer's handling of the situation.

"When he was the minister for immigration and border protection he stopped the boats," the Prime Minister said.

"He did an outstanding job in securing our borders.

"We make no apologies for sending the clearest message to the people smugglers and to their would-be customers; if you want to come or think you can come to Australia on a people smugglers' boat, you're wrong."

But Mr Turnbull did not specifically answer questions on whether ASIO complied with the request.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said he was yet to examine what was in the leaked papers, instead using the opportunity to hit back at the Coalition's attack on his party's border protection policies.

"Sometimes the Government tries to mischaracterise Labor's position — we want to stop the people smugglers," he told reporters at the National Press Club.

"When the Government says Labor won't do that, they are giving a signal to the people smugglers to test our system.

"I wish for once they would think about the national interest and people's safety rather than trying to turn it into a partisan issue."

In a statement provided to the ABC last night, Mr Morrison said it had been his "policy and practice to put Australia's national security interests first".

The ABC has contacted ASIO for comment.

Possible legal challenge looming

Lawyers argued Mr Morrison's conduct could open the door to legal action on behalf of the affected refugees.

"We are studying the detail very carefully, but cannot rule out a legal challenge," refugee lawyer David Manne told the ABC.

"Because at the end of the day, the evidence points to the government improperly interfering with due legal process, with legal obligations it had to hundreds of refugees, and seeking to subvert the law, the ordinary operation of the law in this country to avoid those obligations."

Advocacy groups have slammed the revelations, labelling them another example of the Coalition's "cruel and punitive approach" to asylum seekers.

"Now that the Home Affairs Department has been established, giving the current minister Peter Dutton carriage of both Immigration and ASIO, Minister Dutton should rule out using ASIO as a pawn in the implementation of his cruel immigration policies," Amnesty International Australia's refugees coordinator Graham Thom said.

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