Australians fighting alongside Islamic State could lose their citizenship and right to return home without a criminal conviction, under proposed new laws.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Tuesday unveiled a new tranche of anti-terrorism laws, which will enable the immigration minister to strip Australian citizenship off a dual citizen.
"We think this is an important addition to the armoury that we have to keep the Australian people safe," Mr Abbott said.
Up to half of the 100 Australians fighting alongside IS in Iraq and Syria are dual citizens.
Mr Abbott said the ministerial decision would be subject to judicial review and the person would not be rendered stateless.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said he would take advice from intelligence agencies in making his decisions, but admitted gathering evidence about Australian terrorists would be hard.
RELATED STORY:
National security must meet threat: PM
The laws will apply to people who have committed an act of terrorism, prepared for such an act, raised funds or supported terrorism or even indoctrinated young people into extremism, he said.
The legislation will go to parliament in the next few weeks.
Mr Dutton said citizens took a solemn oath.
"If people break that solemn oath then there needs to be a consequence flowing from it," he said.
Britain and the US have made similar decisions in recent years.
The government will also run a "national consultation" on Australian citizenship, led by parliamentary secretary for social services Concetta Fierravanti-Wells and former minister Philip Ruddock.
Australian Council for Civil Liberties president Terry O'Gorman told AAP it was an "extremely radical proposal".
"To give to the minister - without any court adjudication - the power to take away dual citizenship is simply not on," he said.
Mr O'Gorman said if a person had been charged in Australia, tried by a court and found guilty of a terrorist act there may be a case for that person to then face another court at the end of their sentence to decide whether it is appropriate for them to lose their dual citizenship.
RELATED STORY:
PM not ruling out more Australian forces in Iraq
There was also a big difference between someone like Lindt cafe gunman Man Haron Monis who came to Australia as an adult and a person who came to Australia as a child migrant or refugee.
Mr O'Gorman said the minister already had the power to deport people convicted of serious criminal offences.
The judicial review process would be so limited as to be meaningless, he said.
Share
