The Abbott government says Labor faces an early test on border protection as the Greens attempt to block the resurrection of temporary protection visas.
The Australian Greens will try to quash the Abbott government's reintroduction of the visas (TPVs) with what is known as a disallowance motion in the Senate, AAP understands.
The policy could be disrupted for six months if the Greens succeed.
A spokesman for Immigration Minister Scott Morrison says Labor should think long and hard about the motion.
"This is an early test for the opposition on whether they are interested in softer or stronger borders and whether they intend to acknowledge the mandate achieved by the government on this issue on which we have presented a consistent view for more than a decade," the spokesman told AAP.
The coalition government reintroduced the visas via regulation last week, amid criticism from human rights groups.
But disallowance motions can overturn regulations if supported by a majority of senators.
In the current Senate, the Greens' motion would succeed with Labor support.
The Abbott government could then be forced to wait six months to reintroduce a regulation of the same substance when the new Senate begins in July, a spokesman for the Senate Clerk's office told AAP.
TPVs were used during the Howard government years.
They gave refugees protection for up to three years and banned them from applying for permanent protection.
