Syrian refugee intake could increase, Immigration Minister Dutton says

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says more Syrian refugees could eventually be welcomed to Australia.

Syrian refugee children sit in a tent near Hanging at the German-Austrian border in Hanging, Austria, Source: AAP

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has flagged bringing more Syrian refugees to Australia, insisting more assistance will need to be provided as the situation in the Middle East deteriorates.

Australia is already taking 12,000 Syrian refugees, and states and territories are locked in a "bidding war" over who will receive them, Mr Dutton says.

"If we can demonstrate that we can get the security and health checks right, and that we're bringing the right people, I think people will have confidence in the program perhaps at some point extending," he told ABC's Insiders program on Sunday.