“I will be asking for a briefing so that all members of parliament can speak up on these matters in the best interest of our country’s security,” she said.
Sources familiar with the issue said none of the Australian women and children were expected to resettle in the Fairfield area when they are repatriated from the camps.
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Cumberland City councillor and former mayor Steve Christou was even more outraged,saying:“This lunatic of a proposal is a betrayal of the thousands of families and community members that have escaped their homelands due to the atrocities and barbaric acts committed by ISIS upon them.
“For the federal government to now turn around and say they want to bring these traitors and highly dangerous individuals back to Australia is a betrayal upon our own citizens and an act that has caused great angst and disturbance amongst our vibrant and multicultural community.”
Deakin University professor Michele Grossman,an expert on countering violent extremism,said Australia had a “moral obligation” to rehabilitate the children in the camps from the traumatic experience of growing up in a war zone.
“As long as the children remain in the camps,they will continue to be exposed to efforts to recruit violent extremists,” she said.
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“It makes a lot of sense to have them back in Australia,where they can receive support and the opportunity to integrate into the Australian community.”
Australian National University criminologist Clarke Jones said the federal government had invested significant money in countering violent extremism initiatives.
If the system couldn’t cope with a relatively small number of repatriations,then the money had been wasted,he said.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil has not publicly confirmed the repatriation plan,saying only:“The Australian government’s overriding priority is the protection of Australians and Australia’s national security advice. Given the sensitive nature of the matters involved,it would not be appropriate to comment further.”
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Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was briefed by intelligence officials from ASIO on the plan on Wednesday,and told 2GB radio on Thursday he was now even more convinced that the ISIS families should not be repatriated.
“I came away,I’ve got to say,from the briefing,more convinced that it is not in the national interest of our country to repatriate these people back here. The decision that they made to leave here and fight is a decision that they need to live with,unfortunately,and you need to make tough calls,but this is the reality as I see it.”