"The Australian government will continue to transfer people arriving to Australia by boat to Nauru or Manus Island for processing - with no guarantee of being accepted as a refugee."

"Do you think you know where you're going? Think again!"

That is the content of the TV ad created by the Australian government to warn Afghans against indiscriminate travelling to Australia by boat.

The government is expecting a surge in Afghan migration following the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from the war-afflicted country. The advert only aims to inform potential asylum seekers of what to expect from travelling to Australia.

The TV ad, which costs $500,000 and will run on Afghan primetime television for two months, uses Afghan actors to appeal to their fellowmen.

One man is shown in tears as he relates being refused asylum and being sent back to Afghanistan; and another, a woman, who regrets her husband's decision to travel to Australia, as it left her penniless while he was stuck in Nauru.

The ad uses the native language of the Afghans with English subtitles at the bottom screen. The words are understood. But is the message clear too?

This is the question that still begs for an answer because according to tips by sources, the TV campaign has had little effect on the receivers.

The ad, despite being aired nightly on the country's biggest TV network, has reportedly failed to make it clear that the message is from the Australian government itself.

Also, it has earned the ire of Afghanistan's refugees' ministry. The agency laments that they were not consulted about the campaign.

"They should have done this in coordination with us," Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation Deputy Minister Dr Abdul Samad Hami said.

The minister said that the message is bound to be lost if it is not clearly stated that the advert is a warning from the Australian government.

If the campaign was done in coordination with the local agency, "It would have shown that both governments are serious about this issue."

As it is, Mr Hami said people will just look at the ad and say, "This man failed, but it won't necessarily happen to us."

The campaign, which is the first by any foreign government in Afghanistan, is aimed at the ethnic group Hazaras. They are the most prone to seeking asylum as they are being persecuted by the Talibans.

Aside from addressing the Hazaras, the ad also aims to remedy the frequent misinformation by the Afghan and Pakistan media. Most news outlets in these countries often give wrongful data on Australia's existing policies on refugees.

As confirmed by Dr Hami, these media sources would usually talk about Australia's increased acceptance of Afghan refugees. "When people hear those things, they will obviously try to take the risk," he said.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the Customs and Border Protection justified the decision not to disclose the ad as being funded by the Australian government.

"The campaign is designed in a way that makes Hazaras identify with the actors in the advertisement. It is designed to be less of an 'Australian government announcement' and more about 'Hazaras sharing their stories with the community'," the spokesperson said.

Afghans are the second biggest refugee group in Australia. This year, close to 1,500 asylum seekers from Afghanistan have already arrived in the country. Of this number, only one was sent back by the government.

In the last two years, there were almost 6,000 refugees that travelled to the country. Only three were sent home in 2012 and seven in 2011.