MELBOURNE – The federal government has established a citizenship-loss board to determine whether to strip the citizenship of dual-nationals believed to be involved in terrorism.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton confirmed on Friday the board met in February and would work with several agencies, including Australian spies and government departments, to send dual citizens back to their country of origin.

Dutton told reporters in Melbourne, dual nationals who were either involved in terror activities, members of a banned organisation or convicted of terrorism offences could lose their Australian citizenship.

The government believes about 190 Australians – some of them young people – are supporting extremism through funding or other means.

“Parents are horrified at the thought that their 17 or 18-year-old son or daughter could be radicalised online within a matter of weeks,” Mr Dutton said.

“But there is a very significant penalty to pay if people are involved in terrorist activities and they’re a dual national, they have the potential to lose their Australian citizenship.”

Australia has been on heightened alert for attacks by home-grown radicals. While nearly 200 people were suspected of being a domestic threat, Dutton said approximately 100 people had left Australia for Syria to fight alongside organisations such as Islamic State.

Last month, French President Francois Hollande abandoned plans to strip French nationality from people convicted of terrorism, climbing down from a tough stance he took days after the November attacks in Paris that killed 130 people.

– with other agencies