More than half of those surveyed think Australians should be stopped from leaving to participate in overseas conflicts in at least some circumstances, while a strong majority would see the Australian citizenship of any dual citizen who became a foreign fighter stripped from them.
A vast majority of respondents support the policy of revoking the Australian citizenship of dual nationals who leave & take part in terrorist activities.
Nearly two thirds think the power to revoke Australian citizenship should sit with the High Court of another judicial institution.
Nearly one-third – 31% – think the Government shouldn’t stop Australian citizens leaving the country to take part in overseas conflicts.
Half think Australian citizens should be stopped from travelling to any overseas conflict.
Nearly 70 per cent of respondents to the ANU Poll think the Australian Government should stop citizens leaving the country to take part in overseas conflicts as foreign fighters. 50 per cent think they should be prevented from going to any overseas conflict, while 19 per cent think the power should be limited to designated no-go zones.
Interestingly, 31 per cent don’t believe Australians should be prevented from becoming foreign fighters.
If dual Australian citizens do leave to get involved in terrorist activities overseas, a vast majority - 85 per cent - think their Australian citizenship should be removed. 12 per cent oppose revoking citizenship while three per cent say it depends.
Under current legislation (amended in 2015), a dual citizen can have their Australia citizenship taken away if they have been convicted in courses of a terrorism offence and sentenced to more than six years in prison. The Immigration Minister is also allowed to determine that a person has automatically renounced his or her citizenship by engaging in terrorist acts against Australia.
The introduction of these measures has evoked public and political debate about whether they in fact strike the right balance between individual liberty and public safety.
A majority - 62 per cent - think the power to revoke citizenship should rest with the judiciary - a court of law such as the High Court. Just over a quarter, 28 per cent - think it should rest with a Minister; either the Immigration Minister - 19 per cent - or the Foreign Affairs Minister - 9 per cent. Only five per cent think the courts and both Ministers should share the powers.