9 Oct 2015

Detainment law should target 'suspect Jihadis'

10:12 am on 9 October 2015

The former foreign minister for Australia says the law which has detained 200 New Zealanders needs to be tweaked.

A file photo of the jetty on Christmas Island (August 2013)

Photo: AAP

Many New Zealanders are awaiting a decision on whether they will be deported here, including people who moved to Australia as small children and who have little or no connection with the land of their birth.

Former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr said the Australian government should only be collecting people suspected of being part of the Jihadist cause.

Mr Carr said if New Zealanders were being collected for crimes that were not related to the cause then the legislation needed changing.

He said it could be quickly resolved between the two Prime Ministers.

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