The deal with the United States to resettle approximately 1250 refugees held on Manus Island and Nauru has already cost Australian taxpayers $22 million.
The Department of Immigration quietly revealed the information on Tuesday in a response posted on the parliamentary website to a written question from Labor Senator Kim Carr.
“There has been an additional $7 million worth of funding for both maritime and aerial surveillance (following the signing of the US deal). In addition, there was $15 million for on-water assessments, air transfers, regional command travel costs and strategic communications offshore."
The additional funding is part of a $64 million expansion in border spending announced in the government’s mid-year financial update for 2016-17.
The new information also revealed 1602 of the approximately 2000 refugees held on Nauru or Manus Island have expressed an interest in being considered for resettlement in the United States. Three quarters are men.
The department confirmed “the priority is the resettlement of the most vulnerable refugees, with an initial focus on women, children and families".
"The US is applying their own rigorous assessment and vetting processes to determine which refugees are eligible for resettlement in the US, and when this will take place."
In April during a visit to Sydney, American Vice President Mike Pence said he would honour the agreement, despite comments from US President Donald Trump that is was a “dumb” deal in February.
"It doesn't mean we admire the agreement,” Mr Pence said.
"The decision to go forward can rightly be seen as a reflection of the enormous importance of the historic alliance between the United States and Australia.”
In a Senate Estimates hearing in March, Secretary of the Immigration Department Mike Pezzullo said resettlement is likely to start within a couple of months.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has said the US resettlement will not be available "under any circumstance" to new unauthorised arrivals to Australia.
Answers to more than 60 questions on notice to the Department due last week are still outstanding.
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