More than 200 South Africans are in the process of applying for Australian humanitarian visas.

There are a total of 89 applications relating to 213 people, a Senate committee has been told.

'The type of criteria they of course have to meet - or the key one - is evidence of persecution, so that's exactly what we will be looking at,' Home Affairs deputy secretary Malisa Golightly said in Canberra on Tuesday.

More than 200 South Africans are in the process of applying for Australian humanitarian visas (Pictured: protesting farmers in South Africa)

There are a total of 89 applications relating to 213 people, a Senate committee has been told (Pictured: protesting farmers)

The applications come as Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says persecuted South African farmers are 'not too far off' from being fast-tracked into Australia.

Mr Dutton told the Daily Telegraph he was planning to assess applications.

'I will review many of those cases and look individually at the circumstances around those cases and as we've said before we think there is certainly a necessity to act and to provide that support to people who are in trouble, who face persecution, and I'm not going to step back from that position,' he said.

Mr Dutton said he would verify information to ensure he brings in 'the right people'.

The applications come as Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says persecuted South African farmers are 'not too far off' from being fast-tracked into Australia

Mr Dutton said he would verify information to ensure he brings in 'the right people' (Pictured: protesting farmers)

'There's a bit of time involved in going through and checking the bonafides of individual cases, because we want to make sure we're bringing the right people, the most deserving people, and we'll do that,' he told the columnist.

'But I don't think it'll be too far off in terms of the first places that we're able to offer.'

In February, the South African parliament voted to begin the process of amending the country's constitution to allow for confiscation of white-owned land without compensation.

The policy was a key factor in new president Cyril Ramaphosa's platform after he took over from Jacob Zuma in February.