This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/02/neil-prakash-not-a-fiji-citizen-dutton-move-to-strip-australian-citizenship-in-doubt
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Neil Prakash 'not a Fiji citizen': Dutton move to strip Australian citizenship in doubt | Neil Prakash 'not a Fiji citizen': Dutton move to strip Australian citizenship in doubt |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Fijian immigration authorities have no record of Neil Prakash, an Isis fighter whose Australian citizenship was revoked by the Australian government on the understanding he was a dual national. | Fijian immigration authorities have no record of Neil Prakash, an Isis fighter whose Australian citizenship was revoked by the Australian government on the understanding he was a dual national. |
| Under Australian law a dual national can be stripped of their Australian citizenship if they have committed terrorists acts, but international law prohibits rendering a person stateless. | Under Australian law a dual national can be stripped of their Australian citizenship if they have committed terrorists acts, but international law prohibits rendering a person stateless. |
| On Friday it was revealed Australian authorities had revoked the Australian citizenship of 27-year-old Neil Prakash over his association with offshore terrorism groups, on the understanding he also held citizenship in Fiji. | On Friday it was revealed Australian authorities had revoked the Australian citizenship of 27-year-old Neil Prakash over his association with offshore terrorism groups, on the understanding he also held citizenship in Fiji. |
| However, the director of the Fijian immigration department, Nemani Vuniwaqa, told Guardian Australia unequivocally the 27-year-old Prakash had never held or sought Fijian citizenship. | However, the director of the Fijian immigration department, Nemani Vuniwaqa, told Guardian Australia unequivocally the 27-year-old Prakash had never held or sought Fijian citizenship. |
| Neil Prakash, fighter recruited by Isis, stripped of Australian citizenship | Neil Prakash, fighter recruited by Isis, stripped of Australian citizenship |
| “The law states that if you are born outside of Fiji the father has to apply for citizenship for the child,” Vuniwaqa told Guardian Australia. “He hasn’t applied for it, his father hasn’t applied for it.” | “The law states that if you are born outside of Fiji the father has to apply for citizenship for the child,” Vuniwaqa told Guardian Australia. “He hasn’t applied for it, his father hasn’t applied for it.” |
| Prakash was born in Australia and is of Fijian-Indian and Cambodian background, and the government’s understanding was that he held Fijian citizenship, the Australian reported on Saturday. | Prakash was born in Australia and is of Fijian-Indian and Cambodian background, and the government’s understanding was that he held Fijian citizenship, the Australian reported on Saturday. |
| “Dual citizens who choose to be involved in terrorism forfeit the privileges of Australian citizenship, and I remain committed to enforcing the legal provisions that remove them,” the home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, said on Saturday. | “Dual citizens who choose to be involved in terrorism forfeit the privileges of Australian citizenship, and I remain committed to enforcing the legal provisions that remove them,” the home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, said on Saturday. |
| First reported by the Fiji Sun, Vuniwaqa said he had searched through Fijian immigration records, and confirmed Prakash had not entered the country, applied for citizenship, or had his father apply on his behalf. | First reported by the Fiji Sun, Vuniwaqa said he had searched through Fijian immigration records, and confirmed Prakash had not entered the country, applied for citizenship, or had his father apply on his behalf. |
| “He was born in Australia and has acquired Australian citizenship since birth,” he told the paper. | “He was born in Australia and has acquired Australian citizenship since birth,” he told the paper. |
| Vuniwaqa told Guardian Australia he learned of the Australian government’s claim that Prakash was Fijian through the media, and no one had spoken to his department. | Vuniwaqa told Guardian Australia he learned of the Australian government’s claim that Prakash was Fijian through the media, and no one had spoken to his department. |
| Proposed terrorism laws risk making Australians stateless, law council warns | Proposed terrorism laws risk making Australians stateless, law council warns |
| “We should be consulted on that,” he said. | “We should be consulted on that,” he said. |
| “But [now] we wouldn’t be speaking in the same language in the first place because he’s not a Fijian citizen.” | “But [now] we wouldn’t be speaking in the same language in the first place because he’s not a Fijian citizen.” |
| The department of home affairs was asked to clarify its understanding of Prakash’s citizenship status, whether it had spoken to Fijian authorities and whether it had rendered him stateless by revoking his Australian citizenship. | The department of home affairs was asked to clarify its understanding of Prakash’s citizenship status, whether it had spoken to Fijian authorities and whether it had rendered him stateless by revoking his Australian citizenship. |
| A spokesman said only that a person may only lose their Australian citizenship under Australian law “if they are a national or citizen of a country other than Australia”. | A spokesman said only that a person may only lose their Australian citizenship under Australian law “if they are a national or citizen of a country other than Australia”. |
| “Australia is committed to upholding our international legal obligations, including our obligation not to render a person stateless.” | |
| He refused to comment further. | He refused to comment further. |
| Prakash’s Australian passport was cancelled in 2014 and he was added to a sanctions list the following year. He was captured in Turkey in 2016, and is now in a maximum security prison facing terrorism charges with potential sentences of up to 15 years in jail. | Prakash’s Australian passport was cancelled in 2014 and he was added to a sanctions list the following year. He was captured in Turkey in 2016, and is now in a maximum security prison facing terrorism charges with potential sentences of up to 15 years in jail. |
| He is wanted by Australian authorities over his alleged role in two terrorism plots, including one to target Anzac Day services in Melbourne in 2015, and over his travel to Syria to fight with Isis. He faces a potential life sentence if extradited and convicted in Australia. | He is wanted by Australian authorities over his alleged role in two terrorism plots, including one to target Anzac Day services in Melbourne in 2015, and over his travel to Syria to fight with Isis. He faces a potential life sentence if extradited and convicted in Australia. |
| Australian security and counter-terrorism | Australian security and counter-terrorism |
| Australian immigration and asylum | Australian immigration and asylum |
| Melbourne | Melbourne |
| Fiji | Fiji |
| Peter Dutton | Peter Dutton |
| news | news |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on Google+ | Share on Google+ |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |