Govt not intimidated by Wilkie court move

The immigration minister says he won't be intimidated by "attention seeking advocates" asking the International Criminal Court to investigate the government's asylum seeker policies.

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie has written to the ICC accusing the government of breaking international law by imprisoning and deporting asylum seekers.

He has asked the court to investigate Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Mr Morrison and the rest of the federal cabinet for border protection policies he says are "causing great suffering".

Mr Wilkie says the government's asylum seeker policy also contravenes the Refugee Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

"The effect of the policy is that men, women and children are being forcibly relocated and then subjected to arbitrary imprisonment through mandatory and sometimes indefinite detention," the letter reads.

"The conditions they are forced to endure in detention are causing great suffering as well as serious bodily and mental injury."

But Mr Morrison says Australia implements policies consistent with domestic laws and international obligations.

"The coalition government will not be intimidated by attention-seeking advocates calling for a return to the failed policies of the past that resulted in unprecedented cost, chaos and tragedy on our borders," the minister told AAP.