Dutton opens door to more IS victims 21/5/2018 (Translation appears in Arabic section) Yazidis enslaved by IS may yet have a future in Australia, according to Peter Dutton, who said authorities were making “every effort” to reunite members of the ethnic minority with loved ones resettled here. The home affairs minister said the adopted homeland for more than 900 Yazidis was determined to play a role in bringing to justice militants responsible for what is now considered by the UN to be a genocide. Thousands of Yazidis, mostly men, were slaughtered as the self-proclaimed Islamic State targeted their ancestral lands in the Sinjar district in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2014. Thousands more women and children were taken captive to be sold off as sex slaves or forced to train as child soldiers. “We are compelled to act, it's really unbelievably horrific and that's why Australia's acted to provide support.” Mr Dutton said. Mr Dutton said hearing the harrowing experiences of Yazidi survivors, including young children, “makes you more determined to make sure you can help more kids or women who might be stuck in that situation”. “Their new country is still making every effort to identify people that they might refer to us who are still stuck in country, who might be still suffering at the hands of ISIL operatives, and to try and provide a pathway for them to come to Australia as well,” Mr Dutton said. Susan Hutchinson, who runs the Australian-based Prosecute Don’t Perpetuate campaign - which is calling for the prosecution of abuses by IS - said Mr Dutton had shown commendable support for the Yazidi community. |