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SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian citizens found guilty of terrorist offenses would be stripped of their citizenship if the government thought they had the right to apply for residency in another country, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Thursday.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison addresses the media at a press conference in Parliament in Canberra, Australia on October 16, 2018. AAP / Mick Tsikas / via REUTERS
Australia, a firm ally of the United States who sent troops to Afghanistan and Iraq, has witnessed a series of attacks by local militants, including a stabbing attack in the United States. the second largest city in the country less than two weeks ago.
Morrison proposed to allow the government to weaken the current constraints that allow convicted terrorists to lose their Australian nationality only if they already form a dual nation and that they were sentenced to more than six years. from prison.
"This is something that can not be tolerated, and for those who would like to engage in this kind of activity, and they have citizenship elsewhere or we have reason to believe [can] do, they can go, "Morrison told reporters in Sydney.
Morrison's proposal will have to be approved by the country's parliament, where the government does not have a majority.
He is also likely to face legal challenges, experts said.
"It's not clear that the Commonwealth has the power to chase people who have been here for many generations," said Sangeetha Pillai, constitutional attorney at the Kaldor Center of New South University.
"This legislation would make some people stateless at least temporarily and in some cases permanently."
Morrison's policy proposal came just days after the arrest and indictment of three nationals by Australian police planning a massive attack on the public in Melbourne.
Despite the arrests that canceled the threat of this group, Australia continues to be on the alert for future attacks.
Australia currently considers the likelihood of a militant attack as "likely", a central point of a five-level threat ranking system. It has been set at this level since the implementation of the system in 2015.
Anxious to give investigators additional tools, Morrison asked Parliament to pass legislation that would require technology companies to provide access to encrypted messages by 2019.
Seen as a test case while other nations are exploring similar laws, Facebook Inc (FB.O), Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) and Apple Inc (AAPL.O) jointly began to lobby the legislature to amend the bill.
Report by Colin Packham; Edited by Michael Perry
