Australia's spy agency was given a list of every Palestinian visa holder in March for security checks, government documents have revealed, testing claims by the Coalition that refugees from Gaza are not being properly vetted.
Government papers tabled in the Senate on Friday detail the checks Palestinian visa holders have been subject to, following an influx of applications amid the current war in Gaza.
The Coalition has in recent weeks called for a ban on refugees from Gaza while the conflict is ongoing due to concerns people were being issued visitor visas and therefore not being thoroughly vetted for links to Hamas.
The heavily redacted government briefing documents, written in April, reveal ASIO was provided a list of 2,601 Palestinian visa holders on March 16, 2024.
"This included Palestinian visa holders of all ages, regardless of location, holding any subclass which allowed ASIO to filter the data as needed so they could choose to prioritise cohorts of most concern to them," the document said.
"ASIO continues to work through the list, however, to date no adverse information has been identified."
But ASIO has cancelled five visas based on concerns the person had a "direct or indirect risk to Australia's security" after receiving additional information about them, the documents said.
A Coalition source has told the ABC the fact the cohort was referred to ASIO after their visas were granted was a problem.
Peter Dutton has repeated calls for Gazan refugees to be denied visitor visas until screening processes are changed. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Last month ASIO chief Mike Burgess told the ABC's Insiders program his agency conducted security screenings on some — but not all — visa applicants, subject to referral from the department.
But he said his comments were mischaracterised in the following political storm, later telling the ABC's 7.30 program that the name of each applicant is checked against a global watch list called the Movement Alert List.
The government has accused the Coalition of stoking division on the issue, and said it was following the same screening processes used for those fleeing other wars.
The documents also detail the multiple security checks administered to every Palestinian seeking to depart Gaza and come to Australia.
It said they must be subject to an identity assessment, submit identity documents to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), have their biodata checked, and face document checks at the Rafah crossing.
There is a further DFAT identity check before applicants must present their travel documents to the airline for travel to Australia, and then pass the Australian Border Force check on arrival in Australia.
Peter Dutton has called on Anthony Albanese to apologise to Mike Burgess. (ABC News: Adam Kennedy)
"Most applicants have a connection to Australia. For most, this is extended family," the document said.
Those checks do not include a face-to-face interview, which the Coalition has previously said shows screening standards were not the same as those used for Syrian refugees.
Between October 7, 2023, and April 8, 2024, 3,492 visas were issued to Palestinians, 2,163 of which were visitor visas, the document said.
While the Rafah crossing is closed, no refugees from Gaza can flee the country.