Neil Prakash is not Fiji’s problem, director of immigration says

Scott Morrison says the citizenship status of terrorist Neil Prakash was not raised in his meeting with the Fijian prime minister.

Australian-born Islamic State terrorist Neil Prakash, who could now be freed from Turkish custody if the court determines he isn't under investigation for other crimes. (AAP Image/Supplied) NO ARCHIVING

Scott Morrison says the citizenship status of terrorist Neil Prakash was not raised in his meeting with Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama.

The Prime Minister said the issue had been “dealt with” before the meeting in Suva and did not overshadow discussions.

The Morrison government has stripped Australian citizenship from Prakash and claimed he was a dual Fijian citizen. Fiji denies Prakash is eligible for citizenship.

“No he did not raise it with me,” Mr Morrison said.

“This matter had already been dealt with before our meeting today and as the Fijian government has been saying ...we are here about a much bigger partnership than that.

“We have been able to work through these issues and move forward and I think that is a tremendous thing.

“We will continue to act in accordance with our laws and the Fijian government will act in accordance with theirs.”

Earlier, Fiji’s top immigration bureaucrat says Neil Prakash would be a “non-issue” in Scott Morrison’s visit to Suva because the convicted terrorist is not a Fijian citizen.

Fiji’s Director of Immigration Nemani Vuniwaqa said Prakash was not eligible to become a Fijian, despite the Prime Minister’s claim he is.

“It is a non-issue because he is not a Fijian citizen. We would be dealing with it if he was a Fiji citizen. Full Stop. If he is not a Fijian citizen then it is a non-issue,” Mr Vuniwaqa told Sky News.

Mr Vuniwaqa would not criticise the Morrison government for stripping Prakash of Australian citizenship and claiming the terrorist was Fijian.

“The Australian government has its way of handling things. I would not say it was badly handled by them. It is how it was handled and we will leave it at that,” he said.

Opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus urged Mr Morrison to apologise to Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama.

“Mr Morrison has to apologise to our friends in Fiji for the extraordinary conduct in relation to Neil Prakash and the way in which Mr Morrison’s Government has told Fiji what its own citizenship law is and Mr Morrison has to explain to the Australian people how this mess came about,” he said.

“He can only have ceased to have been an Australian citizen if he is a citizen of another country and the country selected by Mr Morrison’s government, Fiji, has said in unequivocal terms that Neil Prakash is not a citizen of Fiji.”