The Abbott government should respond quickly to any requests from the UN's refugee agency as the crisis in Syria grows, Labor says.
Mark Butler says the government should provide strong support for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
"We have seen funds from Australia under Tony Abbott to the UNHCR cut over their term in government," Mr Butler told Sky News.
Mr Butler said when Labor was in government, it did respond to requests and advice from the UNHCR to take more refugees from particular regions that were dealing with significant pressure.
"The Syrian crisis and the Middle East generally is precisely that sort of region," he said.
Labor at its last national conference agreed to double its refugee intake from 13,750 to 27,000, giving "very substantial headroom" to be able to help Syrian refugees were it in government, he said.
Greens Leader Richard Di Natale said it was time for Australia to make a contribution to the crisis unfolding in the Middle East and now affecting all parts of the globe.
"If the prime minister has a skerrick of decency and compassion he would do what his predecessors have down - show some leadership and recognise that Australia needs to play its part in the world," Senator Di Natale told Sky News.
The Greens want Australia to accept 20,000 Syrian refugees registered with the UNHCR.
Australia is a rich and prosperous nation that needs to offer these people protection, he said.
"We can't continue with this isolationist, turn our back on the problems of the world approach that this prime minister brings to the office," he said.
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