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ISIS 'Terrorist' Bride Permitted To Return To New Zealand With Her Children

ISIS 'Terrorist' Bride Permitted To Return To New Zealand With Her Children

Australia labelled her an 'enemy of our country' and revoked her citizenship, but New Zealand has allowed Suhayra Aden to come home.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

A woman linked to the Islamic State has been permitted to return to New Zealand with her children.

Suhayra Aden has been sitting in a Turkish immigration detention facility ever since she crossed the border from Syria earlier this year.

Turkey has called on New Zealand to repatriate the woman and her children as she was desperate to return home.

Aden was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia when she was six and had dual citizenship for both countries before she left to the Middle East in 2014.

While she was in Syria, she married and had three children to two Swedish men, who both died. One of her children also died of pneumonia while in the country.

Scott Morrison revealed her Aussie passport had been cancelled last year for her links to ISIS.

Scott Morrison.
PA

He made no apology for revoking her citizenship, adding during a press conference: "Australia's interest here is that we do not want to see a terrorist who fought with terrorist organisations enjoying privileges of citizenship, which I think they forfeit the second they gauge as an enemy of our country."

The Prime Minister even labelled her an 'enemy of our country' and has been called a 'terrorist' by others, according to the New Zealand Herald.

That meant Aden's future handed in New Zealand's hands and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has permitted her to come home.

"New Zealand has not taken this step lightly. We have taken into account our international responsibilities as well as the details of this particular case, including the fact that children are involved," Ms Ardern said.

"I made very strong representations to Australia that she should be permitted to return there.

"Her family moved to Australia when she was 6 and she grew up there before departing for Syria in 2014, on an Australian passport. Unfortunately, Australia would not reverse the cancellation of citizenship.

"However, Australia has subsequently assured us it will proactively consult with New Zealand if any such case arises in future."

PA

The Prime Minister said if New Zealand cancelled her citizenship it would leave her stateless.

She added that the main deciding factor was that the young woman had young children who were growing up in immigration detention in Turkey.

"They are not Turkey's responsibility, and with Australia refusing to accept the family, that makes them ours," she said.

But she insisted that Aden will be watched when she returns to New Zealand.

"I can assure people great care is being taken as to how the woman and her young children are returned to New Zealand and how they will be managed in a way that minimises any risk for New Zealanders," she said.

"Planning by agencies has been two-fold - to ensure all appropriate steps are in place to address potential security concerns and to have the right services in place to support reintegration, with particular focus on the wellbeing of the children."

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Topics: New Zealand, News, Australia