Citizenship issues are causing friction between Australia and New Zealand because each of these two countries has a government of different political persuasions. The Australian conservative government has cancelled the citizenship of a woman who fled a refugee camp in Syria and illegally crossed the border into Turkey and who held joint Australian and New Zealand citizenship.
It seems that Suhayra Adam was born in New Zealand but lived in Australia since she was six years old. When Islamic State launched a war to claim territory in Syria and Iraq Ms Adam willingly left Australia to join their cause and married a terrorist, with whom she had two children. In doing so, she revoked her Australian citizenship.
Islamic State was openly at war with Australia, but New Zealand has a Labor government in office which disallows New Zealand citizenship to be revoked. As a consequence, if Ms Adam is deported from Turkey she will be returned to New Zealand.
That has caused New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern to accuse Australia of dumping its citizenship problems on its trans Tasman neighbour. It is also critical of Australia deporting New Zealand criminals who have not sought Australian citizenship back to New Zealand when they have served prison time ordered by Australian courts.
This is very much an issue rooted in political policy. Islamic State launched a terrorist campaign against Australian interests and any Australian willingly joining them could be termed a " traitor ". The withdrawal of Australian citizenship means that person is stateless and will find themselves in a displaced persons refugee camp until some third country decides to offer them refuge.
The New Zealand decision to retain citizenship for a person who willingly joined a terrorist campaign is a political decision which may have consequences. If Ms Adam is forcibly returned to New Zealand she will have full access to its welfare state and may continue to support Islamic State. She may not uphold New Zealand values and become a burden on the New Zealand state.
In Australian eyes, citizenship comes with responsibilities and people who actively aid an enemy in a time of war lose the benefits of belonging to this country. She - and her children - are now on equal terms with the thousands of stateless people subsisting in refugee camps around the world and that status is a matter of choice. They chose to abandon the benefits of their Australian citizenship and now it has been withdrawn.
Both Australia and New Zealand are democracies which choose their government by the vote of their people. In this instance, that choice has taken different political persuasions and consequently differing views on citizenship apply.
This is an issue on which Australia and New Zealand should agree to amicably - disagree !
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