Federal Labor says the humanitarian crisis in Europe is deeply concerning and has committed to boosting funding to the United Nations refugee agency.

Opposition immigration spokesman Richard Marles accused the federal government of not doing enough to support the effort to help the large number of displaced people crossing Europe from Syria and north Africa, saying it should lift — not cut — funding to UNHCR.

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Labor would increase funding to the UNHCR if it returned to government by providing $450 million over three years, he said in a statement on Friday.

Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young backed the call to give more funding to the UN’s refugee arm.

“Australia spends more than double on detaining refugees here in Australia and offshore camps than what the UN has to deal with the Syrian refugee crisis,” she told ABC radio.

She also wants an increase in humanitarian refugee places to help Syrians fleeing war.