Morrison says ABC should apologise to navy

The ABC should apologise for its reporting of "outrageous slurs" against the Royal Australian Navy in its asylum seeker operations, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison says.

The broadcaster has come under fire over reporting asylum seeker claims they burnt their hands when forced by navy personnel to hold onto hot engine parts on an asylum seeker vessel.

The ABC also cited Indonesian police reports referring to the claims.

A Somali asylum seeker later claimed his hand was burnt on the boat's engine when he was sprayed in the eyes by an Australian sailor during an angry protest.

The federal government has strenuously denied the allegations.

Mr Morrison on Monday said the ABC should apologise to the navy.

"People make mistakes, they should just simply apologise to the navy for that," he told Macquarie Radio.

"It's not about apologising to the government, I think that completely misrepresents the situation.

"This is about a slur against the navy, a report that said it backed up the claims of these sorts of outrageous torture allegations," Mr Morrison said.

He said it was wrong for the ABC to suggest that Indonesian police statements, which just repeated asylum seeker claims, in any way backed up "those outrageous slurs against our navy".