An Australian citizen with alleged links to Islamic State has been temporarily banned from returning to Australia, following advice from national security agencies.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed that a Temporary Exclusion Order (TEO) had been issued against one person from a group of 34 Australian women and children held in Syria’s al-Roj camp. The cohort, made up of 11 families, has been trying to leave the camp and return home.
“I can confirm that one individual in this cohort has been issued a Temporary Exclusion Order, which was made on advice from security agencies,” Burke said in a statement. “At this stage security agencies have not provided advice that other members of the cohort meet the required legal thresholds for temporary exclusion orders.”
That order means the person can’t re-enter Australia for up to two years. The Department of Home Affairs said it couldn’t comment further, citing privacy and national security reasons.
The group had reportedly left the detention camp in north-eastern Syria earlier this week, intending to travel to Damascus and then make their way back to Australia. But authorities stopped them about an hour into the trip and sent them back to al-Roj. According to camp director Hakmiyeh Ibrahim, the plan to return was arranged by family members of the detainees, rather than the Australian government.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the ABC that his government wouldn’t be assisting the group’s return. “We won’t repatriate them,” he said. “We are providing no assistance to these people, and won’t provide any assistance to these people, but we won’t breach Australian law.”
Cabinet Minister Amanda Rishworth echoed that stance during an interview on Today: “Our security agencies are monitoring the situation in Syria, but there won’t be assistance from the Australian government. They made a choice to go to Syria.”
The decision to issue only one exclusion order has also drawn criticism from the opposition. Shadow Home Affairs Minister Jonno Duniam questioned why others in the same group weren’t subject to similar restrictions. “If the Minister is claiming that only one of the cohort is deemed risky enough to warrant a Temporary Exclusion Order, then this raises more questions than answers,” he said in a statement.
The issue continues to divide public opinion, particularly as many of the people in the camp are children. Most of the men linked to the Australian families are believed to have been killed or detained following the collapse of Islamic State’s territory.
Burke said he would continue to take advice from intelligence agencies on whether further exclusion orders are necessary, adding that the government’s priority remains public safety.
Lead image: AP News
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