Opponents of Labor's backflip on boat turnbacks have protested outside the ALP national conference in Melbourne.
Labor's Left faction is expected to bring a resolution to oppose turning back boats to the conference in Melbourne on Saturday afternoon, during a debate on immigration policy.
Shadow cabinet members have endorsed a new asylum-seeker policy, which includes turning back boats, a doubling of the humanitarian refugee intake and $450 million for United Nations refugee efforts.
One of the protesters rallying outside the ALP conference said the new position is unacceptable.
"People who are refugees are not illegal and we have plenty of room to open ours doors to refugee," Rosemary Kelly told the ABC. "It's a world problem. And Australia can't just shut its borders and pretend the problem doesn't exist."
A senior Labor source said the Abbott government's program of turning around boats making the trip from Java to Christmas Island would seamlessly continue under a Shorten government.
Dealing with boats from countries such as Sri Lanka and Vietnam would be carried out in a similar way to the coalition, but it would be done with the "blessing" of United Nations refugee authorities.
Asylum seekers arriving by boat from Sri Lanka were last year brought to the Australian mainland, but while one was sent to be processed offshore, the rest were sent back to their country.
Vietnamese asylum seekers this year were dealt with on a navy ship before being sent home.
The use of lifeboats could also continue.
The focus would remain on ensuring no one arriving by boat was resettled in Australia, the source said.
Mr Shorten used the opening of the second day of the conference to make a personal plea to delegates to support the new asylum-seeker policy.
He said Labor was committed to the humane treatment of asylum seekers.
"But we must never allow people smugglers to take advantage of a perceived weakness and so a Labor government must have the option of turning back boats, provided it is safe to do so," he said.
Mr Shorten said he recognised the issue was one of "profound significance" and he hoped Saturday afternoon's debate offered "every view".
Left faction convenor Stephen Jones earlier told AAP he remained concerned about turning boats around.
"We can't be turning boats back to a place of persecution," he said.
"At the end of the day, our refugee policy has got to be about maximising the number of people we lift out of misery."
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said on Twitter that Labor's change of heart on turning back boats was "a deal not a policy".
"It will weaken our borders again and blow a massive hole in the budget," he wrote.
