More than 100 Australians are believed to be fighting with extremist groups in Iraq and Syria, prompting the federal government to warn it will crackdown on homegrown terrorists.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Tuesday vowed to continue cancelling the passports of Australians suspected of being a threat to national security, including those thinking of going abroad to fight.
The government suspects that 150 citizens have left Australia for battlefields abroad, with the majority believed to be actively involved in conflicts in Syria and Iraq.
Ms Bishop said the Middle East conflict was attracting a "disturbingly large" number of foreign fighters, and the risk posed by those returning to Australia could not be understated.
"The Syrian-Iraq conflict is now a growing threat to global security and is one of the most serious challenges to Australia's domestic security for some time," she told parliament on Tuesday.
Ms Bishop said the government was keeping a close on eye on extremists and those it suspected of fundraising or recruiting for these groups.
Fighting for terrorist groups outlawed by Australian law such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant carries jail penalties of up to 25 years.
Ms Bishop also said Australia was expanding its counter-terrorism co-operation with regional partners such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Tony Abbott flagged tougher measures to prevent home-grown jihadists returning to Australia.
"The government that stopped the boats will stop the jihadists," Mr Abbott told a coalition joint party room meeting in Canberra on Tuesday.
Coalition MPs discussed the possibility of tougher measures to prevent radicalised Australians returning home, bringing with them the capability of launching attacks.
Mr Abbott said that while there would be no new invasion of Iraq to quell the violence in that country's north, Australia would redouble its efforts to protect its national security.
He said it was not an issue of religion but rather about extremism, illegality and violence.
"We should never do anything to sully our reputation as a beacon of hope and freedom for people from across the world," he said.
"We will not let our country down in rising to this latest national security challenge."
During the debate, two MPs backed the cancellation of citizenship for dual citizens.
Mr Abbott said the government would put in place the best possible safeguards against people who would do the country harm.
He said this would be done in an intelligent, sensitive, decent, humane but - most importantly - effective way.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said during the debate that most Australians involved in jihadist activity were not dual-citizens.
Share
