Peter Dutton proposes constitutional changes to deport migrants engaged in hate crimes

Peter Dutton has proposed constitutional changes to enable the deportation of migrants involved in hate crimes following recent anti-Semitism in the health system.

EXCLUSIVE

Peter Dutton has vowed to do “what it takes” to kick out new migrants who engage in anti-Semitic attacks and “hate our country”, pledging a constitutional referendum if required. 

Speaking at The Advertiser’s Future SA conference in Adelaide, the Liberal leader said the rise of anti-Semitism involving the shocking video of nurses at Bankstown Hospital threatening to “kill Israelis” and other incidents was one of the most shocking things in his lifetime. 

Ahmed ‘Rashid’ Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh told Israeli influencer Max Veifer in a recorded interview that they would kill their Jewish patients with Mr Nadir making a throat-slashing gesture. 

Peter Dutton, the Liberal leader, emphasised the need to expel new migrants involved in anti-Semitic attacks and those who show hatred toward Australia. Picture: NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

Both have now apologised through their lawyers or family members and suggested they were joking or provoked.

Mr Dutton recently seized on revelations that Sydney nurse Ahmad Rashad Nadir was a refugee from Afghanistan and had been granted citizenship almost five years ago. 

He said it highlighted deficiencies with the migration system. 

But now he’s gone a step further, admitting the Constitution makes it difficult to cancel citizenship and suggesting a constitutional referendum is not out of the question. 

“If somebody commits a terrorist act against our country, they have broken their allegiance with our country, and we have laws which allow the stripping of citizenship from people who commit terrorist attacks, but the High Court has limited the application,” he said. 

“There’s provision under the Migration Act which allows for a revision of a decision being made to grant citizenship in narrow circumstances where people have made a false declaration. 

He highlighted recent anti-Semitic incidents, including a shocking video of nurses threatening Jewish people, as deeply concerning. Picture: NewsWire Handout

“I look at what’s happened to the Jewish community. I was at Central Synagogue in Sydney yesterday. It is, I think, the most shocking thing I’ve seen in my lifetime. 

“There are guards, there are bombproof shelters, there are kids who are being pulled out of Jewish childcare centres, people are being doxed. This has no place in our country whatsoever. 

“I don’t care whether it’s the Jewish people, whether it’s Indians, whether it’s people of Greek descent, whether it’s Asian Australians, whether it’s atheists or Catholics or anybody in between, I’m not going to stand by and watch a segment of our population be vilified, and the racism that we’ve seen, the anti-Semitism that we’ve seen, needs to be stamped out.” 

Mr Dutton told the conference that Australia’s migration program was something to be proud of everyday. 

Mr Dutton expressed concerns about deficiencies in the migration system, particularly in relation to citizenship granted to individuals like Sydney nurse Ahmad Rashad Nadir, a former Afghan refugee. Picture: Facebook

“The priority is that we live in the best country in the world, we want to preserve it,” he said. 

“We have an amazing migration story of which we should be incredibly proud, but about which we don’t talk nearly enough.

“We have to bring the best people into our country, and there are literally millions of people from the four corners of the earth lined up to come to our country for many reasons, and we should be welcoming the best of them, and we have in the past. 

“We have to have a meaning to the commitment that those people make when they sign up to be an Australian citizen. So when you make the declaration, when you turn up to the citizenship ceremony, and you pledge of allegiance to our country, if it turns out at that point or at some subsequent point that you actually hate our country, or that you hate a segment of our country, or that you would seek to do harm to our country, then I think there is a serious question for our country to ask as to whether that is an acceptable position. 

Mr Dutton affirmed his commitment to ensuring the safety of all Australians and eradicating racism, including anti-Semitism. Picture: NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

“My proposition is that it’s not.” Mr Dutton conceded, however that the Australian Constitution could prove a barrier to kicking people out.

“I am prepared to do what it takes to make our country safe and to uphold the values that people adhere to when they sign up for Australian citizenship,” he said 

“I think the Constitution is a barrier, yes. 

“If we need to amend the Constitution, then I think that’s a debate that our country is mature enough to have.”