NATION ScoMo’s bold bid to boot terrorists
AUSTRALIAN-BORN terrorists who are stripped of their citizenship could soon languish indefinitely in immigration detention if they can’t be kicked out of the country.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants to be able to deport extremists if his government believes they may be entitled to citizenship in another country.
“If they are in a position not to be deported, they will remain in immigration detention,” Mr Morrison told the Seven Network yesterday.
“Their citizenship should go if you commit a terrorist act in Australia.”
Asked how the sweeping new powers would work if another country refused to take people back, the PM was vague.
“If they’re a citizen of that country, they have to take them back,” he said.
Attorney-General Christian Porter acknowledged some countries would refuse to take dual nationals back, but insisted Australia would not leave people stateless.
“We cannot force a country to repatriate someone and so there are instances where there are elongated stays in immigration detention,” he told reporters in Perth. “But ultimately our first and foremost concern is not for the terrorist, it’s for the Australian public that we’re trying to protect.”
The Law Council of Australia has warned attempts to strip terrorists of their citizenship could breach international obligations guarding against leaving people stateless.
Asked if he was concerned by the warning, Mr Morrison replied: “Nup.”
“Those who oppose these laws always say this,” he told the Nine Network.
“I dealt with that back when I was immigration minister and they said I couldn’t turn back boats and they said that wasn’t legal. Well, they make all these claims, but what I do is I press on and I just get it done.”
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Labor would continue to work with the government
THEIR CITIZENSHIP SHOULD GO IF YOU COMMIT A TERRORIST ACT IN AUSTRALIA
PRIME MINISTER SCOTT MORRISON
on national security laws.
Mr Shorten said it was important to scrutinise any changes to make sure they would work and there were no unintended consequences.
“If we make sure that they’re effective, that they keep Australians safe, well then we’ll be up for the sensible debate,” he told reporters in Melbourne.
“If you do a rush job, you can sometimes do a botched job. Let’s get it right.”
The new laws are aimed at revoking citizenship from dual nationals convicted of terror offences, regardless of the length of their sentence.
That would remove a current requirement that a person be sentenced to at least six years behind bars.