Malcolm Turnbull believes a coalition MP has a point when he says he doesn't want refugees in his electorate because there aren't enough jobs to go around.
Liberal-Nationals MP George Christensen wrote on his Facebook site he had received assurances from the immigration department that Syrian refugees would not be resettled in his north Queensland seat of Dawson.
"I believe any jobs that are available in the region need to go to our residents who are already struggling to find work, and we don't need to introduce more people to contest that pool of jobs," he wrote.
Mr Turnbull said Mr Christensen was entitled to express his view about his own area, which had suffered job losses from the mining industry downturn.
"What he is saying ... is because there aren't a lot of jobs around it would be better for refugees who come in the humanitarian program to be located in places where there are more opportunities for work," he told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.
"Plainly the objective when you bring in refugees into Australia ... is to put them in a position where they are given the skills and the opportunities to get into work."
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton declined to say whether his department was advising coalition MPs of no-go areas for Syrian refugees.
"We've been working closely with states and territories," Mr Dutton said of the 12,000 Syrian refugees to be permanently resettled.
"In the end, people make decisions about where it is they will reside.
"I suspect most people will reside in capital cities because that's where they have family members and that's where they have support networks within the refugee community."
The department has so far screened 9500 people and issued 5000 visas, with 1500 people arriving under the program, he said.
Mr Dutton said resettlement services were a matter for Social Services Minister Christian Porter.
"From an immigration department perspective, our job is to make sure that we deal with people to make sure that they're not going to be a threat to Australian society," he said.
The minister said he had not spoken with Mr Christensen.
Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said refugees were welcome everywhere.
"If they are refugees and on their way to becoming Australian citizens, we support them going wherever," Senator Cash told reporters in Brisbane on Thursday.
She said she would work with Mr Christensen to solve youth unemployment in his electorate.
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