A federal investigation into the welfare status of Australian foreign fighters, prompted last year by revelations in The Telegraph, shows 96 per cent had been on welfare benefits when they fled to the Middle East.
Most had continued to collect payments from Australian taxpayers while training with Islamic State to become terrorists intent on wanting to kill Australians.
The investigation has captured the records of 57 Australians who left the country before October last year to fight with the Islamic State.
Of that number 55 have been confirmed to have been on welfare payments....