‘Don’t want them back’: threat to returning ISIS brides
Australian authorities do not want women and children linked to the Islamic State to return to the country, but the threshold that would prevent them from getting a passport has not yet been reached.
Approximately 34 women and children belonging to Australians who went to the Middle East to fight on behalf of the terrorist organization have been trying to return home from the Syrian refugee camp for days.
The so-called “ISIS brides” were issued Australian passports, a right granted to citizens, but one of the women was given a temporary exclusion order banning their re-entry for up to two years.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said security agencies had not made any recommendations that would prevent the group from obtaining the necessary travel documents to return to Australia.
“There has been no advice from ASIO that the passport law provisions have been activated,” he told the ABC’s Insider program on Sunday.
“On the basis of the information we have, the best way to protect Australians is to avoid any further temporary exclusion orders.
“We don’t want them to come back… We actively make sure we don’t do anything to help them.”
Mr Burke added that the group of 34 was not a coherent group, but there was enough information to make a single dismissal.
“We know different individuals, we know the moods and influential ideologies of different individuals,” he said.
“Our agencies have been following them for a long time.”
The minister noted that the majority of the group were born in Australia and confirmed that state and federal agencies were working together to reduce any potential risks from their return.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government had not been in contact with any members of the group but threatened charges would be laid if they returned to Australia.
“Australian citizens have rights and they have responsibilities and those responsibilities mean that the Australian government, like everyone else, will apply the full force of the law to anyone who breaks Australian law,” he told Sky News.
“Do we have a situation of Australian repatriation occurring in 2019 and 2022? The answer to that is no.”
Labor has been under pressure from the opposition to block the entire group from entering Australia, but Mr Albanese said his government was operating under laws introduced by the coalition.
“As for citizenship, they have rights in our constitution as well,” the Prime Minister said.
“There are problems there and the coalition knows that’s the case.”
Opposition defense spokesman James Paterson reiterated that the government must do more to stop the arrival of the cohort.
“It is clear that the government can refuse to issue a passport to an Australian citizen if they seek advice from a competent authority such as ASIO or AFP if the person poses a threat to security,” he said.
“Rejecting their passports will eliminate this threat to security.”
Senator Paterson added that granting an interim exclusion order to someone in the group meant further orders could also be made.
“These powers need to be used and this government seems very reluctant to use them,” he said.
Australia’s Associated Press is the beating heart of Australian news. AAP is Australia’s only independent national news channel and has been providing accurate, reliable and fast-paced news content to the media industry, government and corporate sector for 85 years. We inform Australia.
