News
A 17-year-old Australian teen was prevented from entering Singapore in October this year.
The Guardian reported that the teen, who suffers from autism, had arrived at Changi Airport on Oct. 24 with his parents and two younger siblings.
They arrived here as part of a 10-day trip to Singapore and Malaysia.
Upon arrival, the teen and his family members were prevented from entering Singapore. Local authorities told the family that there was a "red flag" or "red alert" on the teen's passport.
The Guardian reported that the teen was the target of an Australian counter-terrorism undercover operation when he was just 13. He was charged with two terror offences when he was 14, but was subsequently cleared of any criminal offending.
The entire family was detained for about 30 hours before they were escorted onto a flight home on Oct. 25.
In speaking to the media, the family commented about their detention experience at Changi Airport.
They mentioned that they were held in a room that was constantly lit, making it hard to sleep. The room, which was filled with bunk beds, held other detainees as well.
They also had to hand over all of their possessions, including their shoelaces.
The Ministry of Home Affairs told Mothership that the youth was investigated by the Australian authorities for radicalisation and terrorism-related activities in 2021.
The teen was denied entry into Singapore because of these terrorism-related antecedents, said the ministry, and was slated to be repatriated to Melbourne with an accompanying family member.
His other family members were given the option of entering Singapore. However, they decided to return with him on the earliest flight the next day.
The ministry said that the family was escorted to a holding room to wait for their departing flight:
MHA added that the family had access to amenities such as food, water, and restrooms. They were also allowed to gather during mealtimes and interact with one another at designated communal spaces at permitted time periods.
MHA also said that a visitor's entry into Singapore is neither automatic nor a right.
When the Australian teen was 13, his mother approached Victoria police to ask for help because he was fixated with the Islamic State, had accessed extremist material online, and had requested bomb-making ingredients.
While rehabilitative efforts were made to help the teen, he was simultaneously subjected to an undercover operation ran by Australia's joint counter-terrorism team (JCTT) to determine if he had any extremist intent. During the operation, an undercover officer reportedly told the teen that he would make a good sniper or suicide bomber.
He was charged with two terror offences after his 14th birthday.
A Victorian children's court magistrate subsequently found that the operation had fed the teen's fixation and "doomed" his rehabilitation efforts. In October 2023, the court granted a permanent stay in the case, and the teen was cleared of criminal charges.
The teen was repatriated to MelbourneNovember 13, 2024, 10:40 AM
A 17-year-old Australian teen was prevented from entering Singapore in October this year.
The Guardian reported that the teen, who suffers from autism, had arrived at Changi Airport on Oct. 24 with his parents and two younger siblings.
They arrived here as part of a 10-day trip to Singapore and Malaysia.
Upon arrival, the teen and his family members were prevented from entering Singapore. Local authorities told the family that there was a "red flag" or "red alert" on the teen's passport.
The Guardian reported that the teen was the target of an Australian counter-terrorism undercover operation when he was just 13. He was charged with two terror offences when he was 14, but was subsequently cleared of any criminal offending.
The entire family was detained for about 30 hours before they were escorted onto a flight home on Oct. 25.
In speaking to the media, the family commented about their detention experience at Changi Airport.
They mentioned that they were held in a room that was constantly lit, making it hard to sleep. The room, which was filled with bunk beds, held other detainees as well.
They also had to hand over all of their possessions, including their shoelaces.
MHA: Visitor's entry neither automatic nor a right
The Ministry of Home Affairs told Mothership that the youth was investigated by the Australian authorities for radicalisation and terrorism-related activities in 2021.
The teen was denied entry into Singapore because of these terrorism-related antecedents, said the ministry, and was slated to be repatriated to Melbourne with an accompanying family member.
His other family members were given the option of entering Singapore. However, they decided to return with him on the earliest flight the next day.
The ministry said that the family was escorted to a holding room to wait for their departing flight:
MHA added that the family had access to amenities such as food, water, and restrooms. They were also allowed to gather during mealtimes and interact with one another at designated communal spaces at permitted time periods.
MHA also said that a visitor's entry into Singapore is neither automatic nor a right.
The case
When the Australian teen was 13, his mother approached Victoria police to ask for help because he was fixated with the Islamic State, had accessed extremist material online, and had requested bomb-making ingredients.
While rehabilitative efforts were made to help the teen, he was simultaneously subjected to an undercover operation ran by Australia's joint counter-terrorism team (JCTT) to determine if he had any extremist intent. During the operation, an undercover officer reportedly told the teen that he would make a good sniper or suicide bomber.
He was charged with two terror offences after his 14th birthday.
A Victorian children's court magistrate subsequently found that the operation had fed the teen's fixation and "doomed" his rehabilitation efforts. In October 2023, the court granted a permanent stay in the case, and the teen was cleared of criminal charges.
