Scott Morrison And Bill Shorten Back Calls To Bring Khaled Sharrouf's Kids Back To Australia

The Prime Minister and Opposition Leader say there could be space for the children of Australia's most notorious Islamic State terrorist to return home.

Hoda, Zaynab and Humzeh have been in the Middle East since their father Khaled Sharrouf travelled there in 2013. Sharrouf sparked international headlines when he posted a photo showing his seven-year-old son holding a severed head.

Sharrouf and his wife Tara Nettleton have been reportedly killed however verifying their deaths has been difficult.

While some Australians don't believe Hoda, Zaynab and Humzeh should be allowed back in the country, Mr Morrison says work is underway to bring them home.

"In every single case we will be putting the security of Australians at the top of the list," he told reporters in Victoria today.

"There are processes to be followed and there's still a long way to go on these things. We'll deal with each case - every individual child - on its merits and follow the proper process."

That's on top of what Mr Morrison said last week: "Where there are Australians who are caught up in this situation particularly as innocent children, we will do what I think Australians would expect us to do on their behalf."

Mr Shorten doubled down on those sentiments, adding: "They shouldn't be a political football - they have suffered."

"Their parents took them to a war zone, incredibly irresponsibly. Their parents took them into a regime of terrorism. These children shouldn't be held responsible for what their parents did."

The Daily Telegraph reports the children could be brought back if they make their way to an Australian embassy, where they could apply and receive Aussie passports.

Sharrouf's eldest daughter, Zaynab, was reportedly married to an Islamic State jihadist when she was just 14 years old.

She's told the ABC Four Corners show: "We weren't the ones that chose to come here in the first place.

"I mean we were brought here by our parents. And now that our parents are gone, we want to live. And for me and my children I want to live a normal life just like anyone would want to live a normal life."

Featured Image Credit: ABC/Four Corners

Topics: Islamic State, News, Australian News, Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie