The Opposition is advocating for stricter laws to prevent individuals linked to the Islamic State from acquiring passports and making their way back to Australia. However, the government maintains that the current situation does not warrant denying this group’s access to travel documents, even though it clearly expresses a desire to keep them from returning.
Currently, 34 women and children, with connections to Australians who joined the militant group in the Middle East, are seeking to return home from a Syrian camp. These individuals, often referred to as ‘ISIS brides,’ have been granted Australian passports, a privilege extended to citizens. Nonetheless, one of these women is facing a temporary exclusion order that could prevent her reentry for up to two years.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has stated that security agencies have not provided any recommendations to prevent this group from obtaining the necessary travel documents to come back to Australia. According to him, there hasn’t been any indication from ASIO that the conditions under the passports act have been met to activate such prohibitions.
Speaking on ABC’s Insiders program, Burke emphasized that there has been no advice suggesting that any measures should be enacted to block the issuance of passports to these individuals.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said security agencies had not passed on any advice that would block the group from receiving the required travel documents to return to Australia.
‘There’s been no advice from ASIO that the passports act provisions have been activated,’ he told ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday.
‘On the information that we have, the best way to protect Australians has not involved any further temporary exclusion orders.
‘We don’t want them to come back … we’re actively making sure we do nothing to help them.’
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke (above) defended giving former ISIS brides and their children Australian passports
The 11 women and 23 children – all linked to Islamic State members – were granted documents to travel to Australia
A group of about 34 women and children attempted to travel to Australia from Al Roj camp (above) in Syria
Opposition home affairs spokesman Jonathon Duniam said laws needed to be changed to stop the cohort from being issued passports.
‘If the government are serious about not wanting these people to come back, toughen the laws, keep them out, protect the safety of our country,’ he said.
‘How is it that a group of people who have travelled to Syria, who no doubt had their passports revoked when they travelled to these declared areas under the criminal code, are now eligible for a passport?’
Experts have warned members of the group could face a greater chance of radicalisation if they are forced to stay in Syria.
The 34-strong cohort was not a coherent group, Mr Burke said, but enough information was available to issue the single exclusion order.
‘Our agencies have been following them for a long time,’ he said.
The minister noted a majority of the cohort were born in Australia and he confirmed state and federal agencies had been working together to mitigate any potential risks during their return.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government was not in contact with any member of the cohort, but threatened charges could apply if they returned to Australia.
Opposition home affairs spokesman Jonathon Duniam (above) called for a law change so the group could be blocked from accessing Australian passports – a right afforded to all citizens
Duniam said of the Albanese Government’s current laws: ‘If the government are serious about not wanting these people to come back, toughen the laws, keep them out’ (pictured are some of the former ISIS brides in Syria)
‘Australian citizens have rights and they also have responsibilities, and those responsibilities mean that the Australian government, like with anyone else, will apply the full force of the law to anyone who has broken Australian law,’ he told Sky News.
‘What we have is a situation whereby, is Australia providing repatriation, which did occur in 2019 and 2022? No is the answer to that.’
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.
‘When it comes to the issue of citizenship, that has rights as well under our constitution,’ he said.
‘There are issues there and the coalition know that is the case.’
Senator Duniam said previous repatriations of Australians with links to Islamic State under the Scott Morrison-led coalition government had only been orphaned children.
