Dozens of children of ISIS jihadists to be resettled in Australia

Some 70 children of ISIS terrorists are to be resettled in Australia following an assessment on any potential security risks.

The Australian government said it plans to bring back children who were either taken with their parents to the conflict in Syria and Iraq or who were born to Australian parents while out there.

The country’s justice minister Michael Keenan said that each child would be vetted for any potential risks before being given new homes, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

He said: “Agencies then consider the welfare and support needs of the children – from counselling support through to their education needs.”

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Anyone born overseas to at least one Australian parent has a right to citizenship meaning the government may face applications from children in Syria and Iraq.

Security agencies estimate that there are around 110 Australians still fighting with terror groups in Iraq and Syria.

Former security official Jacinta Carroll said there needed to be a balance between helping the children and keeping Australian citizens safe.

She said: “There’s a real tension between doing things in a way that’s appropriate to deal with the trauma and the complexity of those cases and a demand by the public to know what’s going on and to be reassured.”