Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison may land in some legal trouble with his aggressive policy to stop asylum-seeking-people through boats. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) of the Northern Territory (NT) says Mr Morrison is guilty of child abuse and is proposing to report him to the Department of Child Protection.

Speaking at a rally of asylum-seekers in Darwin on Monday AMA NT President, paediatrician Paul Bauert said there was no reason to keep children in detention and that it is a form of child abuse. He stressed that the allegations were not as a political stunt but as an important medical intervention.

"Children should be held in the community," he said.

"Adverse early childhood events have permanent effects on physical and mental health, and the more adverse early childhood events you have, the more likely that is to have chronic illnesses (throughout life)," Dr Bauert stressed.

In his address, Dr Bauert also condemned the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott for his policies towards asylum seekers.

"I feel terribly ashamed of Mr Abbott saying we shouldn't be held responsible for anyone coming here," he said.

"I condemn the prime minister for his ongoing scourge of demonising human beings," Dr Bauert said.

"We are subjecting them to a really bitter, dark page in our history and the lack of compassion is going to have very adverse follow-up effects," he said.

Dr Bauert stressed that the AMA NT allegations against the immigration minister is "not as a political stunt but as an important medical intervention".

The AMA is looking into the legality of making such a report to the Department of Child Protection, Dr Bauert said.