Former foreign minister Bob Carr is urging the federal government to consider ways to ban Australians who go off to fight in the Syrian conflict from returning home.
The outgoing senator admitted that while in government he had lobbied to introduce the punishment to Australians who travel to Syria to participate in the civil war.
"I did receive advice that if they are Australian citizens legally you can't stop them returning," he told Sky News on Sunday.
He urged the government to explore options to get around the legal issue.
"It should be a bipartisan initiative," he said.
Senator Carr said the threat of expulsion from Australia would deter a lot of "misguided excitable youth from responding to the jihadist cause".
He said about 200 Australians had gone to Syria but that number also included people involved in aid work.
"Probably a lot lower number are actually involved in fighting," Senator Carr said.
