Australia will proceed with plans to resettle 12,000 Syrian refugees: immigration minister

Australia's Immigration Minister Peter Dutton on Monday fired back at critics of the government's plan to take in 12,000 displaced Syrian refugees, saying it would press ahead with that resettlement program despite the weekend's terror attacks in Paris.

Outspoken Australian MP, Andrew Fraser, called on the federal government to "close its borders" on Saturday in the wake of the Islamic State (ISIS) onslaught in France.

Fraser, a senior member of the New South Wales Coalition government, said Australia would be at similar risk of an imminent attack if the refugee plan went ahead, after it emerged a Syrian passport was found on the body of one of the seven bombers who coordinated the Parisian attacks.

In an open letter to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, the National Party member said that Australia would be best served not to take any "Middle Eastern refugees or Islamic boat people."

"Close our borders we have enough anarchists already resident in Australia ...we do not need any more coming in disguised as refugees," said Fraser in a statement posted on his Facebook page.

But Dutton, speaking on Monday to Australian media, rejected the suggestion that Australia would somehow become a more dangerous place with the admission of Syrian refugees.

He said Australia's intake of 12,000 Syrians would be conducted under unique circumstances.

"It's a different situation for us because we've got ... an island nation, we don't have the land borders that some European countries do," Dutton said on Monday.

"But it is absolutely essential, we must know whether they come by air, or whether they come by boat, who's coming across our borders, in and out and we need to continue that strong stance and I think people recognize that."

Dutton said every refugee, regardless of their background, would be rigorously screened before granted residency in Australia.

"I think this just demonstrates why we do need a tough border setting but at the same time we can bring in people such as the Syrians who are fleeing a murderous regime," he said.

"Under no circumstances are we going to rush the circumstance or compromise the security of our country.

"We want to make sure we know who is coming. We are not going to compromise on that."

Australia's Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan echoed Dutton's remarks, saying the Australian public should not be put off helping relocate and resettle refugees.

"We're going to have an orderly process I think, rightly, assisting people who have been affected by the humanitarian disaster that is Syria," Keenan said in a statement on Monday.

"The people that do come to Australia will be thoroughly vetted and scrutinized by our agencies to make sure that we wouldn't let anyone into Australia that would pose a threat to us."

Australia's first intake of Syrian refugees is expected to arrive in late December. Enditem