Wellington:
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern angrily accused Australia Tuesday of shirking its duty for a dual national arrested in Turkey with alleged hyperlinks to the Islamic State militant group.
Ardern stated the lady had been a dual Australian-New Zealand citizen till authorities in Canberra cancelled her passport, leaving her predicament to Wellington to deal with.
In an unusually blunt message to her counterpart Scott Morrison, Ardern stated Canberra was “wrong” to count on New Zealand to accept the lady, who she stated had robust ties to Australia.
“Any fair-minded person would consider this person an Australian and that is my view too,” Ardern stated in a statement. “We believe Australia has abdicated its responsibilities.”
The 26-year-old lady was arrested with her two youngsters close to the S yrian border this week by Turkish authorities, and identified as a member of the Islamic State Group.
Local media reported the lady had been taken to a Turkish court in the southeastern province of Hatay for interrogation.
The Turkish defence ministry described the family members as New Zealand nationals who had been attempting to enter the nation “illegally from Syria” and “were caught by our border guards”.
But Ardern stated the lady had not lived in New Zealand because she was six, and so it was “wrong that New Zealand should shoulder the responsibility” for her.
“(The woman) has resided in Australia since that time, has her family in Australia and left for Syria from Australia on her Australian passport,” she added.
Morrison defended his government’s choice as in “Australia’s national security interests”.
“We do not want to see terrorists who fought with terrorism organisations enjoying privileges of citizenship, which I think they forfeit the second they engage as an enemy of our country,” he stated throughout a press conference in Canberra.
But Morrison added that he would speak with Ardern additional, saying: “There is still a lot more unknown about this case and where it sits and where it may go to next.”
Ardern also urged Australia to think about the welfare of the woman’s youngsters.
“These children were born in a conflict zone through no fault of their own,” she stated.
“Coming to New Zealand, where they have no immediate family, would not be in their best interests. We know that young children thrive best when surrounded by people who love them.”
Ardern stated New Zealand was also engaging with Turkish authorities more than the situation.
Wellington has previously criticised Australia for deporting persons across the Tasman Sea who have tenuous ties to the nation.
Since 2014, about 3,000 New Zealanders in Australia have had their visas cancelled “on character grounds” — which does not constantly need a criminal conviction.
Ardern has pointed out numerous of these getting deported have lived most of their lives in Australia and described the situation as “corrosive” to the connection among the neighbouring nations.
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