Liberals lashed over push to jail ISIS bride helpers
A plan to jail people who helped imprison ISIS-linked families is a reckless thought bubble and suggests it could set a dangerous precedent, aid agencies warn.
The federal opposition plans to introduce legislation that would punish anyone who helps so-called “ISIS brides” travel to Australia with up to 10 years in prison when parliament meets in March.
Mat Tinkler, chief executive of Save the Children Australia, which advocates for Australian partners and the children of Islamic State fighters, said the proposal was a slippery slope despite lacking detail.
“I think it’s pretty reckless, to be honest,” he told ABC TV on Monday.
“This strikes me as a thought bubble and has the potential to set a very dangerous precedent where the advocacy and humanitarian work of organizations like Save the Children is suddenly called into question.”
Mr. Tinkler said he did not know whether his organization would be caught up in the coalition’s politics and offered to brief the party on Save the Children’s work in Syria.
A group of 34 Australian women and children are trying to return home from a Syrian refugee camp.
They traveled to the Middle East with men who wanted to fight on behalf of the Islamic State before the terrorist organization was defeated in 2019.
The group were given Australian passports but were unable to travel to Damascus, the Syrian capital, to return home.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said it would make it illegal to assist in the repatriation of people who have traveled to areas declared to be hotspots of terrorism or who have committed terrorist offences.
“We must close the door on people from elsewhere in the world who will bring hatred and violence to our shores,” he told reporters on Monday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the proposal should be ignored.
“They have no serious plans,” he told reporters early Monday.
“If they had done so, they would not have allowed more than 40 people, including fighters, to come on duty while they were in government.”
The claim was disputed by former prime minister Scott Morrison, who told News Corp Australia that only orphaned minors were allowed back into his government.
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