Deportation to NZ sparks row

AUCKLAND: The imminent deportation of an Islamic Statelinked 26yearold woman has sparked fresh transtasman tension after it emerged she was born in New Zealand but grew up in Australia, where her citizenship has been cancelled.

It means New Zealand is left as the only option for the deportation of the woman, who is being detained in Turkey with her two children after crossing the border from Syria and the ruins of the wouldbe Isis caliphate.

The case has brought quick parallels with Australia’s ejection to New Zealand of criminals born here but who grew up there.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the woman — named by ABC as Suhayra Aden — had not lived in New Zealand since she was 6 years old, grew up in Australia, has family in Australia and left for Syria from Australia on her Australian passport.

That passport — and her Australian citizenship — had since been cancelled, meaning New Zealand emerged as the default country for deportation.

Ms Ardern said the case was known to Australian and New Zealand authorities, and she had raised the issue with her Australian counterpart Scott Morrison in 2018 and asked they work together.

‘‘I was then informed in the following year that Australia has unilaterally revoked the citizenship of the individual involved.

‘‘I think New Zealand, frankly, is tired of having Australia export its problems. This is clearly an individual whose links sit most closely with Australia.’’

Mr Morrison defended Australia’s actions.

‘‘My job is Australia’s interests. And it’s my job as Australia’s prime minister to put Australia’s national security interests first.

‘‘Australia’s interest here is that we do not want to see terrorists, who’ve fought with terrorist organisations, enjoying privileges of citizenship that I think they forfeit the second they engage as an enemy of our country.’’

Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence said the woman was an Islamic State terrorist.

‘‘Three New Zealand nationals including an adult and two children were caught by our border guards in Hatay’s Reyhanli district while trying to enter illegally from Syria,’’ a ministry statement said.

‘‘The adult, a 26yearold woman named SA was identified as a Daesh [Islamic State] terrorist wanted with a ‘blue notice’.’’

Intelligence expert Dr Paul Buchanan, of 36th Parallel Assessments, said the blue notice indicated the woman was sought for information rather than acts of terrorism.

‘‘It’s a notification they want to get information on a person.

‘‘It doesn’t mean she’s been doing anything bad.

‘‘Walking across the border with kids would seem to indicate she was a camp follower or concubine.’’

In 2015, the prospect New Zealanders were among those who had travelled to marry fighters was raised by New Zealand Security Intelligence Service directorgeneral Rebecca Kitteridge, who told MPs that since 2014 there had been ‘‘New Zealand women travelling to Iraq and Syria’’.

It later emerged none of the dozen women known of by the NZSIS left from New Zealand. Instead, they had travelled from Australia. — The New Zealand Herald