This week the Australian government announced that five dual citizens were stripped of their Australian citizenship after it was discovered they had taken part in the Islamic State collective in Iraq and Syria. To date, six Australians have been stripped of their citizenship for taking part in the Islamic State’s activities. The law was changed in 2015 to allow for such punishment. Australian Minister of Home Affairs Peter Dutton stated that, “I can confirm that five more individuals have ceased to be Australian citizens because of their involvement with Islamic State offshore.” The updated Australian Citizenship Act states under section 35, if a dual citizen conducts themselves in a manner contrary to their allegiance to the nation, their Australian citizenship is automatically revoked; this holds especially true should they engage in terrorism-related activities.
Minister Dutton would not give specifics to the identities of the five people, it was not stated when they had traveled to the Middle East or when they had their Australian citizenship revoked. According to the Australia Broadcasting Corp., they were all in their mid-twenties and thirties; they may not be informed of the loss of their citizenship, but Australian Intelligence services started an investigation on them in 2017. Minister Dutton stated that, “We’ve arrived at a position now where it’s clear through their own conduct these people have renounced their Australian citizenship. They don’t deserve to be Australian citizens, and in our judgment, they would pose a great threat if they were to return to Australia.”
The other individual to lose their citizenship under Australia’s new law was Khaled Sharrouf, a 36-year-old convicted terrorist born in Sydney. Sharrouf left Australia in 2013 using his brother’s passport. His own passport was terminated after being convicted as a member of a thwarted plot to carry out a terrorist attack. His Australian citizenship was revoked in January 2017; now he only has Lebanese citizenship. In 2014 Sharrouf posted a picture on social media of his son, a mere child, holding up a Syrian soldier’s severed head as a trophy; a shocking gesture considering the Islamic State had only just begun its rise to power in the Middle East. Former Secretary of State John Kerry said the photograph was “one of the most disturbing, stomach-turning, grotesque photographs ever displayed.†Minister Dutton closed by saying that, “It is opposed to Australia, its people and its democratic rights and privileges. The government is determined to deal with foreign terrorist fighters as far from our shores as possible.”
Featured image: Attorney-General for Australia George Brandis, left, Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull, center, and Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton, right foreground, at the announcement of a new home affairs portfolio. | Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Looking for the perfect Holiday gift or maybe just something to spoil yourself? Crate Club is the #1 men’s subscription box containing some of the best tactical & survival gear in the nation. Every piece of gear is hand-picked and tested by a team of Special Operations veterans (talk about quality control!). Check it out and get yours at https://www.crateclub.us/
Join our community. To comment on this article please join/login.
Here’s a sample of the comments on this post.
Michelle, Australia is not stripping anyone of their citizenship “willy nilly”. There are many here who do not support Australia and work actively against the country and citizens. Frankly, I don’t think enough people have been stripped of their citizenship or had their visas rescinded and deported. Those with a “suspicious cast of features” are often given much more leeway and excuses because of the fear of appearing “racist”. I haven’t seen any evidence of anyone not being afforded due process. And only six people have had their citizenship revoked? A lot more than that have left the country to go and fight for the terrorists and against our servicemen. We have lost citizens to terrorism and I’m sure we’ll lose more. There have been many others arrested before they have been able to commit their planned terrorism acts. Some have been released due to a lack of evidence – due process. Of course, the terrorists aren’t interested in due process for anyone but themselves. We still abide by the rules.
I and most Australians support Minister Dutton in the decision to revoke their citizenship, especially considering that those same terrorists were fighting against our boys in the Middle East. For all I care, they can all die over there because I don’t want them coming back to our shores and try to commit crimes here.
I’d rather they hunted them down and prosecuted them.
Mmm. I find I’m a teeny bit disturbed that Australia’s “democratic rights and privileges” allow a unilateral stripping of citizenship, without any sort of due process. It’s all well and good when the un-citizen in question is so obviously the bad guy in the black hat and creepy mustache (or suicide vest)…but it seems an awfully tempting prize to use willy nilly on anyone with a dissenting voice or suspicious cast of features.
LOL… just teasing my fave Intelligent female on REP bro…6