The Australian government will be finger-printing and face-scanning visitors from ten high-risk, still-unnamed, countries as part of its anti-terror efforts.
"Terrorism continues to pose a serious threat and a serious challenge to Australia's security interests," Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Tuesday, February 23.
"That threat is not diminishing."
Under new rules, visitors from ten high-risk countries will be finger-printed and face-scanned.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said they would delay naming the countries where visa applicants will need to give fingerprints and face-scans, admitting "diplomatic effort" may be needed with their governments.
But Rudd said Somalia and Yemen had been identified as two countries where the threat of Islamic extremism was growing.
Canberra will spend 62 million US dollars on the new biometric facilities and will set up a national control center to coordinate efforts to fight extremism.
"The government security intelligence agencies assess that terrorism has become a persistent and permanent feature of Australia's security environment," Rudd said.
"These agencies warn that an attack could occur at any time."
Australia has never suffered a major peacetime attack on home soil.
Rudd said Australia's increased security measures for visitors were being implemented in collaboration with Britain and the United States.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in January singled out Yemen, Somalia and the Sahel, stretching from Eritrea across Africa to Nigeria and Sudan, as vulnerable to militant influence.
The US has strengthened airport checks for citizens from Afghanistan, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen, enforcing strict pat-down searches and baggage checks.
Home-grown
The prime minister insisted that the threat of terrorism was no longer just something that travels to Australia from overseas.
"The threat of home-grown terrorism is now increasing.
"This white paper is clear, some of the threat we now face comes from the Australian born, Australian educated and Australian residents," he said.
"Australia now faces an increased terrorist threat from people born or raised in Australia who take inspiration from violent jihadist narratives," Rudd told reporters.
"Prior to the rise of self-styled jihadist terrorism fostered by al Qaeda, Australia itself was not a specific target. Now we are."
Last week five Australian citizens of Lebanese, Libyan and Bangladeshi origin were jailed for up to 28 years for gathering weapons in preparation for an attack on an unknown target.
In August, five men with alleged links to Somalia's Shebab group were arrested and charged over an alleged plot to attack Sydney military barracks.
More than 40 Australians have also had passports revoked for security reasons.
Muslims, who have been in Australia for more than 200 years, have been haunted with suspicion and have had their patriotism questioned since the 9/11 attacks.
A recent governmental report revealed that Muslims are facing deep-seated Islamophobia and race-based treatment like never before.
"Terrorism continues to pose a serious threat and a serious challenge to Australia's security interests," Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Tuesday, February 23.
"That threat is not diminishing."
Under new rules, visitors from ten high-risk countries will be finger-printed and face-scanned.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said they would delay naming the countries where visa applicants will need to give fingerprints and face-scans, admitting "diplomatic effort" may be needed with their governments.
But Rudd said Somalia and Yemen had been identified as two countries where the threat of Islamic extremism was growing.
Canberra will spend 62 million US dollars on the new biometric facilities and will set up a national control center to coordinate efforts to fight extremism.
"The government security intelligence agencies assess that terrorism has become a persistent and permanent feature of Australia's security environment," Rudd said.
"These agencies warn that an attack could occur at any time."
Australia has never suffered a major peacetime attack on home soil.
Rudd said Australia's increased security measures for visitors were being implemented in collaboration with Britain and the United States.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in January singled out Yemen, Somalia and the Sahel, stretching from Eritrea across Africa to Nigeria and Sudan, as vulnerable to militant influence.
The US has strengthened airport checks for citizens from Afghanistan, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen, enforcing strict pat-down searches and baggage checks.
Home-grown
The prime minister insisted that the threat of terrorism was no longer just something that travels to Australia from overseas.
"The threat of home-grown terrorism is now increasing.
"This white paper is clear, some of the threat we now face comes from the Australian born, Australian educated and Australian residents," he said.
"Australia now faces an increased terrorist threat from people born or raised in Australia who take inspiration from violent jihadist narratives," Rudd told reporters.
"Prior to the rise of self-styled jihadist terrorism fostered by al Qaeda, Australia itself was not a specific target. Now we are."
Last week five Australian citizens of Lebanese, Libyan and Bangladeshi origin were jailed for up to 28 years for gathering weapons in preparation for an attack on an unknown target.
In August, five men with alleged links to Somalia's Shebab group were arrested and charged over an alleged plot to attack Sydney military barracks.
More than 40 Australians have also had passports revoked for security reasons.
Muslims, who have been in Australia for more than 200 years, have been haunted with suspicion and have had their patriotism questioned since the 9/11 attacks.
A recent governmental report revealed that Muslims are facing deep-seated Islamophobia and race-based treatment like never before.
