Dutton calls for migration review after NSW nurses’ anti-Semitic threats

A NSW nurse fired for anti-Semitic comments is facing calls for his Australian citizenship to be stripped after it was revealed he was originally from Afghanistan.

Peter Dutton is calling for a review of the country’s migration system after it was revealed one of the nurses caught making anti-Semitic threats was granted Australian citizenship in 2020.

Ahmad Rashad Nadir came to Australia from Afghanistan as a 12-year-old.

He was recorded bragging he would kill Israeli patients alongside fellow NSW nurse Sarah Abu Lebdeh in a Chatruletka call with Israeli influencer Max Veifer.

The Opposition Leader on Thursday said there were “big problems in this country when somebody like that can become an Australian citizen”.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is calling for a review of the country’s migration system after it was revealed one of the nurses caught making anti-Semitic threats was granted Australian citizenship in 2020. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“There needs to be a proper process in place to understand how this individual became an Australian citizen and where the failing in the system originated, and how we can make sure it doesn’t happen,” he told Sydney talkback station 2GB.

Mr Dutton was home affairs minister in the former Coalition government when Mr Nadir was granted citizenship.

Mr Nadir has been facing calls for his citizenship to be stripped – a move Mr Dutton said had “constitutional constraints”.

“There’s a provision under the migration act … that if somebody has made a false declaration … there is the ability to revoke (citizenship), say somebody who has committed a terrorist attack,” he said.

“But even that is limited, and there was a high court case in the … last couple of years, where that really restricted the ability of the government to be able to strip somebody of their citizenship.

“So there are constitutional constraints.”

Indeed, stripping citizenship is complex – at the very least, a person must be a dual national and have been sentenced to at least three years for severe crimes showing they have rejected their allegiance to Australia, such as espionage.

NSW nurses Ahmad Rashad Nadir (left) and Sarah Abu Lebdeh (right) have been stood down. Picture: NewsWire Handout

In the video, Mr Nadir told Mr Veifer: “You have no idea how many (Israeli people) come to this hospital … I send to Jahannam.”

Jahannam is the Arabic translation for “hell”.

Meanwhile, Ms Abu Lebdeh said Israel was “Palestine’s country, not your country you piece of s***”.

“One day your time will come. One day you’ll die the most … when your time comes, I want you to remember my face so you can understand that you will die the most disgusting death,” she said.

She also said that would not treat an Israeli patient but “kill them”.

Mr Veifer has said he was “shocked” by the encounter.

“I had to expose them, so I had to stay calm and get as much info as I can so I can post it and show my people and we can find them,” he said.

The video, which has received widespread condemnation, has emerged against a backdrop of anti-Semitic attacks in the country’s biggest cities.

Both Mr Nadir and Ms Abu Lebdeh have apologised.

Originally published as Dutton calls for migration review after NSW nurses’ anti-Semitic threats