Anthony Albanese appears to have falsely claimed that up to 40 terrorist fighters returned home under the Morrison Government when the vast majority did so over a decade ago.
Over the weekend, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claimed that the previous government had helped up to 40 people with ISIS links – including fighters – return to the country.
He did this to defend the Albanese Government’s engagement with a new group of ISIS brides, whom he insists he has not repatriated but has issued passports to as required by law.
But it has now emerged that those claims are based on a 2017 question on notice prepared by ASIO that predates Mr Morrison’s government.
Mr Morrison told news.com.au that the Prime Minister should clarify his remarks, insisting the only people who returned under his government were orphaned minors.
“There was also no ‘facilitation’ of their entry. They were dealt with as their cases presented,” Mr Morrison told news.com.au.
“Unaccompanied minors that were security cleared overseas.”
As is the case with the current group of ISIS brides attempting to enter the country, the Morrison Government would have had to issue passports and organise security checks overseas.
Mr Albanese did not stipulate if he was referring to the Turnbull administration, the Abbott Government or the Morrison era in relation previous returnees but did refer to the “previous government,” which is the Morrison Government.
However, news.com.au has now confirmed he based the claim on a 2017 question on notice to parliament.
The detail of that question on notice states that while 40 fighters had returned, the vast majority did so in prior to the establishment of the Caliphate in June, 2014.
Mr Abbott was elected in September 2013 and Mr Morrison was not Prime Minister until 2018.
That suggests they returned in the early months of the Abbott administration and possibly during the Gillard-Rudd years.
What Anthony Albanese said about 40 fighters
Over the weekend, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claimed that the previous government had helped up to 40 people with ISIS links back into the country.
“Bear this in mind, when the former government was in office, 40 people returned to Australia, literally fighters, not just brides or wives of fighters, but fighters returned to Australia during that period,” Mr Albanese told Sky News.
However, as outlined, the claims have now emerged based on a 2017 question on notice to parliament.
That date is before Mr Morrison was elected Prime Minister in 2018.
“As of 16 October 2017, returnees from the conflict in Syria and Iraq number around 40,’’ the ASIO response to a question on notice states.
“The majority of these travelled and returned in the early days of the conflict, before ISIL’s claim to a caliphate in June 2014 and emergence as the dominant group drawing Australian travellers.
“Of those who have returned since then, some have fought for ISIL, some have not fought but provided support to ISIL, a few had joined other Islamic extremist groups and a small number have fought with anti-ISIL groups.”
It suggests that the alleged fighters who returned did so under the Gillard Government or in the early months of the Abbott Government.
In 2019, Mr Morrison confirmed the government was working with the Red Cross in response to Australian family members of ISIS fighters stuck in Syrian displacement camps.
At that time, an estimated 70 children of Australian nationals were born in the displacement camps.
Later, reports indicated Australia would accept the family if they could make it to an embassy but would not send people in to get them out of Syria.
At the time, Mr Morrison said identification and citizenship assessments would be needed but “we would follow the normal processes for issuing travel documents”.
“But I am not going to put one Australian life at risk for that,” he said.
“Where there are Australians who are caught up in this situation – particularly as innocent children – we will do what I think Australians would expect us to do on their behalf.”
According to a 2018 question on notice, around 220 Australians had travelled to Syria and Iraq since 2012 to take part in the conflict.
At least 70 — and possibly as many as 90 — are believed to have been killed.
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