Scott Morrison hits back at Jacinda Ardern criticism in citizenship row

The PM hits back at Jacinda Ardern who blasted Australia for stripping a dual national terror suspect’s citizenship.

Scott Morrison has hit back at New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern, who blasted his government for cancelling the citizenship of a dual Australian-New Zealander detained as a terrorist on the Syria-Turkey border with her two children.

Ms Ardern said the 26-year-old woman, who was identified as an international terrorist by Turkish authorities, should have been deported to Australia.

The Australian has confirmed the identity of the woman as Suhayra Aden, from ­Melbourne.

“This is clearly an individual whose links sit most closely with Australia,” the New Zealand Prime Minister said. “I think New Zealand, frankly, is tired of having Australia export its problems.

“But now there are two children involved so we have to resolve this issue with those two children in mind.”

Mr Morrison said he understood New Zealand had “some issues” with the cancellation of the woman’s Australian citizenship but “my job is Australia’s interests”.

“Australia’s interest here is that 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,” the Prime Minister said.

“And I think Australians would agree with that.”

The woman left New Zealand aged six to live in Australia and became an Australian citizen.

She is one of 20 people to lose their Australian citizenship under 2015 national security laws targeting dual nationals who act “inconsistently with their allegiance to Australia” by engaging in terrorism-related conduct overseas.

“That happens automatically. And that has been a known part of Australia’s law for some time,” Mr Morrison said. He was due to speak to Ms Ardern about the woman’s case on Tuesday.

“There is still a lot more unknown about this case and where it sits and where it may go to next. And so I think that will also be a subject for the discussions.”

The Republic of Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence said the woman was an Islamic State terrorist. “Three New Zealand nationals, an adult and two children, were caught by our border guards in Hatay’s Reyhanli district while trying to enter illegally from Syria,” it said.

“The adult, a 26-year-old woman named S.A. was identified as a Daesh [ISIS] terrorist wanted with a ‘blue notice’.”

Save the Children Australia deputy chief Mat Tinkler said Ms Ardern was “dead right” in advocating for the woman and her children. “The Australian government must take responsibility for its citizens, not shirk responsibility to other countries,” he said. “They’ve already been through hell, through absolutely no fault of their own.”