National security is the first responsibility of government. The Kamleh case asks whether Australia is living up to that principle.

A government’s foremost responsibility is to protect its citizens. Every decision about who may enter or remain in Australia should begin with that principle. Humanitarian considerations are important, but they cannot override the government’s obligation to safeguard the public and maintain confidence in our institutions.

The debate over whether Dr Tareq Kamleh should ever be allowed to return to Australia is therefore about more than one individual. It is about whether public safety remains the government’s overriding consideration in matters involving terrorism.

Dr Kamleh was not an innocent bystander caught in a conflict. He voluntarily travelled to Syria in 2015 to join the Islamic State (ISIS), a terrorist organisation responsible for mass murder, brutal beheadings, torture, enslavement, and acts of genocide. He appeared in ISIS propaganda videos encouraging support for the organisation while presenting himself as a medical doctor. Australian authorities have since laid terrorism-related charges against him, and he remains wanted in connection with those offences.

The danger posed by ISIS ideology is not theoretical. Australia has experienced its consequences firsthand. Following the December 2025 Bondi Beach terrorist attack, authorities alleged the perpetrators had pledged allegiance to ISIS, and investigators reportedly found ISIS flags in their vehicle. That attack served as a stark reminder that violent Islamist extremism continues to pose a genuine threat to Australia’s national security. It is against that backdrop that any decision involving an individual who voluntarily joined ISIS must be assessed.

These........

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