"Tony Burke says authorities know the state of mind of each of the 34 Australian women and children stuck in a Syrian detention camp, but says his options to prevent them returning to Australia are limited. The home affairs minister, who represents a south-western Sydney electorate with a high Muslim population, also warned Pauline Hanson's recent derogatory comments against Muslims in Australia could incite violence."
"Under the new laws, it is a crime to associate with, recruit, train, or provide support for a designated group, with an individual found guilty of intentionally directing the activities of a listed hate group facing up to 15 years in jail. Eager to draw attention away from its own internal troubles, the Coalition this week has intensified its criticism of the federal government's response to the Australians remaining in the increasingly unstable and violent detention camp."
Thirty-four Australians—11 women and 23 children—remain in Roj camp in north-eastern Syria near the Turkish and Iraqi borders after a failed attempt to reach Damascus. The cohort includes wives, widows and children of slain or jailed Islamic State fighters, many of whom arrived in Syria in the mid-2010s. One woman has received a temporary exclusion order banning entry to Australia for up to two years. Authorities report individual risk assessments and view the group as ideologically varied rather than a coherent cohort. New legislation makes association with designated hate groups a criminal offence and carries significant penalties.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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