Australian PM seeks patriotism from immigrants wanting citizenship

Canberra, June 13 (IANS) The Prime Minister of Australia on Tuesday called on immigrants applying for citizenship to be patriotic, as a measure to prevent the expansion of Islamic radicalism.

"There is no more important title in our democracy than 'Australian Citizen'," Malcolm Turnbull said in a speech on national security at the Parliament, reports Efe.

"And we should make no apology for asking those who seek to join our Australian family to join us as Australian patriots - committed to the values that define us, committed to the values that unite us," he added.

Turnbull's speech was focused on the fight against terrorism, protection of borders and the measures proposed by his government to toughen requirements for granting visas and citizenship.

The Australian government wants to increase the waiting period for citizenship applications, impose English-speaking requirements and establish that the applicants shares Australian values among other things.

Turnbull added that eight sections of security laws have been passed since 2013 and announced that his government will reinforce the fight against the exchange of encrypted messages by radical groups and called on digital messaging and social networking companies to join forces against Islamic extremism.

"Encryption (...) is a vital piece of security for every user of the internet. Protecting all of us as we go about our lives from shopping, to banking, to chatting online. However, encrypted messaging applications are also used by criminals and terrorists," he said.

Turnbull defended the success of his government's anti-terror strategies in maintaining security while respecting the lifestyle, values and freedoms of Australians.

He acknowledged that Australia was not immune to the global impact of conflicts in the Middle East and instability around the world but assured that citizens "will not buckle or be cowed by this scourge of Islamist terrorism".