Canadian officials in Australia are assisting a former Canadian soldier who was detained by immigration authorities in Queensland because he had recently travelled to Syria to fight ISIS militants alongside Kurdish forces.
Robert Somerville left northern Syria last month and was attempting to visit his father in Australia when he was detained at the Brisbane airport on Tuesday morning.
A veteran of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry’s C Company in Edmonton, Somerville served in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010. He travelled to Syria last year as a volunteer.
Questioned about friend
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that Somerville was questioned about Ashley Dyball, an Australian anti-ISIS fighter who had also fought in northern Syria alongside Kurdish militia called YPG.
Dyball, who also uses the alias of Mitchell Scott on-line, returned to Australia late last year after being deported by German authorities because of his association with YPG that has ties to the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), which is considered a terrorist organization in Turkey, the EU, as well as Australia and Canada.
“My mate Rob was detained upon arrival to Australia to visit his family and is being deported on the basis he didn’t list his Kurdish nickname on his visa application,” Dyball wrote on Facebook, using his on-line alias Mitchell Scott. “This is a man who fought for his country, Canada, twice in the Canadian Army and went to Syria and risked his life to help people voluntarily, he is part of our Commonwealth and for Australia to do this is an absolute joke.”
Speaking from the Brisbane Immigration Transit Centre, Somerville told the ABC that Australian authorities had questioned him closely about Dyball. The Australian volunteer had been interviewed by the Australian Federal Police after being deported from Germany, but was released without charge.
Australian authorities have become increasingly concerned about citizens travelling to Iraq and Syria to join extremist groups such as ISIS. The Australian federal government has introduced tough new laws to combat the threat. Under the new laws, it can be a crime to fight for militants on either side of the conflict.
‘I had no idea that the Australian Government would treat him like a criminal’
“We are aware of a Canadian citizen involved in legal and administrative issues in Australia,” Amy Mills, a Global Affairs Canada spokesperson, said Wednesday. “Canadian officials in Australia are in contact with the individual and providing consular assistance.”
Somerville is expected to be deported on Thursday.
Somerville’s father, Richard, told the ABC he is worried his son will never be allowed to visit Australia and see his siblings he has never met.
Richard Somerville told the ABC he paid for his son’s trip to Australia when he found out that Robert was on a vacation in Thailand.
“I had no idea that the Australian Government would treat him like a criminal,” Somerville said.
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