Travel to Mosul, Iraq is now illegal

Iraqi army soldiers from 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Iraqi Army Division patrol a street in Mosul, Iraq, Feb. 18, 2008. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Robertson) (Released)

It is now an offence under Australian law to enter, or spend time in, Mosul, Iraq, without a legitimate purpose.

A press release from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, has just announced this change to Australian law, adding it into section 119.3 of the Criminal Code.

Iraq is now declared a designated area, with the Mosul district illegal to travel to, following the declaration of Al-Raqqa province in Syria in December 2014.

The city of Mosul is the largest city controlled by Daesh in Iraq.

Under the Criminal Code, anyone who enters or remains in a declared area without a legitimate purpose faces a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment.

The declaration is intended to send a strong message to anyone who might be considering travelling to Iraq to join the terrorist organisation Daesh.

The Government is setting a clear agenda of stopping Australians joining the terrorist conflict in Iraq and Syria, and has committed to working with community leaders to combat radicalisation of men and women in Australia.

Any Australians currently in Mosul district without a legitimate purpose are advised to leave immediately, while travel advice for Iraq on Smartraveller has been updated to ‘Do Not Travel’.

More info can be found on the Australian National Security website.

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