New Zealand, Australia in diplomatic row over Islamic State militant
- Jacinda Ardern said Australia was wrong to cancel the citizenship of a dual national arrested near Turkey’s Syrian border for alleged terror links
- The 26-year-old woman left New Zealand at age six and grew up in Australia, but PM Scott Morrison said the decision was in ‘national security interests’
In an unusually blunt message to her counterpart Scott Morrison, Ardern said Canberra was “wrong” to expect Wellington to accept the woman, who she said had strong ties to Australia.
“Any fair minded person would consider this person an Australian and that is my view too,” Ardern said in a statement. “We believe Australia has abdicated its responsibilities.”
Ardern said the woman had been a dual Australian-New Zealand citizen until authorities in Canberra cancelled her passport, making her Wellington’s responsibility.
“[The woman] has resided in Australia since that time, has her family in Australia and left for Syria from Australia on her Australian passport.
“New Zealand, frankly, is tired of having Australia exporting its problems,” Ardern said. “If the shoe were on the other foot, we would take responsibility. That would be the right thing to do and I ask Australia to do the same.”