Australians involved in terrorism could have citizenship revoked
as Government considers options
By political reporter Melissa Clarke
16 May 2015, 7:00pm
PHOTO: Dan Tehan says he wants to make it possible to strip Australians involved in
terrorism of their citizenship. (Youtube)
The Federal Government is considering options for revoking the Australian citizenship
of people involved in terrorism, even if they are not citizens of any other country.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced the Coalition would amend the
Citizenship Act so dual nationals could be stripped of their Australian citizenship in such
circumstances.
Now the Government is looking for a way to revoke Australian citizenship even when
the person has no other allegiance.
"I think most Australians would want to make sure that people who have Australian
citizenship treat it as a privilege," Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told the ABC.
"If people are going to act against our national interest in the name of terrorism, then
we seriously have to question whether or not they can continue to be Australian
citizens."
Australia is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Reduction of
Statelessness.
Some nations, such as the United Kingdom and New Zealand, reserved the right to
revoke citizenship when they signed on, but Australia did not.
"We could've done the same thing in 1973 but we didn't," Dan Tehan, the Liberal MP
who chairs the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, said. “My
view is we should look at whether we need to do it now. If there is an option for
someone, for instance if they were naturalised, to go back to the country from where
they came from, then that option would be available."
It would not affect people involved in terrorism who were born in Australia.
Mr Dutton said it would only be applicable in a small number of cases.
"The fundamental principle is that we don't want to render people stateless," he said.
"But we want to hold those people to account."
When asked whether getting an exemption from the UN Convention would erode civil
liberties, Mr Dutton said it was about getting the right balance of freedoms.
"We have to make sure we protect the rights of Australians who are walking down
malls, going to shopping centres, kids going to school, to make them as safe as
possible," he said.
Labor behind previous measures, not briefed on latest idea.
The Coalition's national security measures have so far had bipartisan support from
Labor.
The Opposition backed new powers for the Foreign Minister to cancel passports of
suspected terrorists.
"It [is] something that both sides of politics, us included, have taken a very strict view
on," Opposition manager of business Tony Burke said.
"[We've] followed very closely on the advice we've been given from the security
agencies."
But Labor has not been consulted on the latest idea and is treading cautiously.
"National security issues need to be dealt with with a sober mind and a sensible
conversation," Mr Burke said.
Australian citizenship is an extraordinary privilege: Abbott
In February, Mr Abbott outlined other ways citizenship could be restricted for
Australians involved in terrorism.
"Those could include restricting the ability to leave or return to Australia, and access to
consular services overseas, as well as access to welfare payments," he said in the
National Security Statement.
He said Australia had been built on immigration and that Australia was richer for it, but
citizenship had to "mean something".
"Australian citizenship is an extraordinary privilege that should involve a solemn and
lifelong commitment to Australia," Mr Abbott said.
"Those who live here must be as tolerant of others as we are of them."
www.abcnet.au