Syrian refugee intake could take 18 months

A special intake of 12,000 Syrian refugees could take another year or 18 months for the immigration department to finish processing and resettlement.

It could take the immigration department another 12 to 18 months to resettle 12,000 Syrian refugees. (AAP) Source: AAP

It could take the immigration department another year or 18 months to resettle a special intake of 12,000 refugees from Syria.

So far 575 visas have been granted under that program.

A Senate estimates hearing on Thursday night was told 1168 Syrians have been resettled under both the 12,000 intake and the regular humanitarian resettlement program as of Tuesday.

Immigration department official Peter Vardos could not provide a breakdown on how many have come under the special intake.

As of February, only 26 had arrived in Australia.