Defence Minister Peter Dutton has suggested some Afghans who worked alongside Australian forces may have "shifted" their allegiances, as the government faces pressure to take in more who are fleeing the Taliban.
Mr Dutton told the ABC on Wednesday "we need to deal with the reality on the ground, not how we want it to be".
"The reality is that people for their own survival instincts move allegiances around," he said.
"There are some wonderful people who have supported us at a point in time 10 years ago and they have gone on to work for the Taliban, they're working for al-Qaeda, they're acting out against our allies and their allegiances have shifted.
"We're not bringing them to our country. And those that provided us with support, wherever is possible, they will come to our country.”
During Australia's 20 years in Afghanistan, hundreds of Afghan nationals worked alongside the military as interpreters and embassy guards.
As the Taliban tightened their grip on the country over recent months, some guards and interpreters have spoken out, saying they feared they would be the targets of revenge attacks because of their close work with western forces.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday said the government expects to provide around 3,000 visas for Afghan applicants this financial year.
Visas granted to fleeing Afghans will come from the existing intake of 13,750, rather than a special allocation, though Afghans will be given priority processing.
Mr Dutton said some visa applicants had been subject to adverse security assessments but would not confirm how many.
"It's not insignificant," he said, when pressed to provide a number.
"They're coming from a very difficult part of the world. There are people that that that have helped us at a point in time who have since acted out either against our interests or those of our allies which includes passing on intelligence to ISIL and others," he said.
"In some cases, it's impossible to ascertain information or interviews have been conducted and the interviewers aren't satisfied with the authenticity of the responses that have been made."
Mr Morrison also confirmed on Wednesday 26 people - which included Australian citizens, Afghan visa holders, and a foreign official - flew out of Kabul.
Photographs of the flight drew critical comparisons to a United States flight earlier in the week, which saw 640 Afghans crammed onto a military plane that usually carries 134 passengers.
Mr Dutton defended the comparatively small flight and said there would be more evacuation flights to follow.
"We had limitations on how people can get to the airport and it's a very difficult situation on the ground," he said.
"It's not like turning up to a normal airport where people can come and go freely. It's clearly a difficult situation for people to make their way to the airport and I think that's the reality of the circumstances on the ground."
