Peter Dutton has excused his department’s slow processing of Syrian and Iraqi refugees, suggesting other faster countries were not taking the same security precautions.

Australia has been criticised for only settling 3,532 people after former prime minister Tony Abbott pledged one year ago to take in 12,000 Syrian and Iraqi refugees.

World Vision, Oxfam, Save the Children, Plan International, Care and Amnesty International labelled the delay “incomprehensible” and called for the full 12,000 to be settled by March next year.

However the immigration minister said on Friday he could not commit to a firm deadline, and defended the inaction of the Australian government when asked how Canada was able to settle more than 30,000.

“Canada has a very different approach to the security checks they’re conducting,” Dutton told ABC radio.

“The scrutiny that we apply is greater than Canada there’s no question about that … because we want to make sure we aren’t bringing people into the country that would seek to do us harm.”

When asked if he was suggesting that Canada was letting in potentially dangerous people, Dutton said he couldn’t comment because he didn’t know the details about Canada’s program.

The Canadian government settled 25,000 Syrian refugees between November 2015 and 29 February 2016, and has pledged to “make every effort” to finalise all privately sponsored applications received before April this year, by early 2017 at the latest.

On a dedicated website, the Canadian government says its security screening process includes checks of immigration, law enforcement and security databases, interviews, as well as biometric and biographic collection.

In May the Canadian government increased its overseas staff levels to continue processing applications, with the bulk operating in Beirut.

“Syrian refugees who are accepted for resettlement are expected to arrive in Canada within three to six months of their interview,” the website said.

“Cases with complications arising from a need for additional security or medical screening will take additional time for the visa officer to be satisfied that there are no security or medical concerns.”

The Australian process has sped up recently – more than 1,600 have been settled in Australia in the past month.

On Thursday Dutton’s office sent out a media release stating more than 6,600 visas had been issued out of the 12,000 commitment, and another 6,293 had been interviewed but were still awaiting health and security checks.

“The government’s prime responsibility is to protect the Australian community and Australians would understand that these checks must be carried out in the current global security environment,” said Dutton in the release.

“As a government we made it clear at the outset this special intake would take time to fulfil, that processing would be thorough, that there would be no shortcuts.”

Dutton’s office has been contacted.