The federal opposition has dismissed government claims that changes to Australia's refugee system were not prompted by protests from Indonesia.
The changes were announced after Indonesia recently withdrew its Ambassador from Canberra, in protest against the decision to give temporary protection visas to 42 asylum-seekers from the Indonesian province of Papua.
The Prime Minister John Howard says Australia did not change its laws to suit the purposes of other countries.
But the opposition's spokesman on immigration, Tony Burke, says Mr Howard has shown this is not true.
"Why is it that Jakarta thinks they can demand that Australia apologise simply for having our own immigration laws? Why is it that an apology is on the table in the first place? And the answer is simple: An apology is on the table because John Howard decided to go down the path of appeasement. He decided to tell Jakarta that they can have a say in who comes to this country, and the circumstances in which they come".