Tougher terror laws on table

THE Morrison Government is debating stripping extremists of their Australian citizenship if they are entitled to acquire a foreign citizenship based on where they, their parents or their grandparents were born.

The Government is also preparing to strengthen laws around on-shore, dual-national terrorists, with the current legislation unworkable because it requires an extremist to have been convicted of a terror offence with a sentence of six years or more.

News Corp has learned the vast majority of the 400 terrorists monitored by ASIO are either dual-citizens or entitled to acquire a foreign citizenship based on where they were born or the birthplace of their parents or grandparents.

Yet, only six dual-national terrorists have been stripped of their Australian citizenship.

The plan to deport terrorists who are solely Australian citizens is understood to have been discussed at the National Security Committee of Cabinet. It has the backing of some Liberal MPs while others are concerned at the prospect of leaving an Australian citizen stateless.

A spokesman for the Morrison Government said: “The Government hasn’t ruled out any options. It has explored some measures with high constitutional risk.”