Melbourne, Australia. A group of Australian women and children linked to the Islamic State militant group has returned home from a Syrian refugee camp, with local media reporting that two women and seven children landed in Melbourne on Tuesday afternoon via Doha.
Another flight arrives in Sydney
Another flight carrying four women and six children arrived in Sydney in the evening. New South Wales state police told media at Sydney airport that none of the returnees would be arrested, while it was unclear whether any arrests would be made in Melbourne.
Government response
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government was not assisting their travel and that anyone who had committed crimes could expect to face the full force of the law. He said the people returning had made the “horrific choice” to join a dangerous terrorist organisation and place their children in an “unspeakable situation.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during parliamentary question time that any breaches of the law would mean the people involved would face the full force of the law to the extent available, based on the advice of security agencies.
Previous returns and legal action
The latest arrivals follow the return earlier this month of four women and nine children to Australia after more than seven years in a Syrian camp. Two of those women were arrested at Melbourne Airport and charged with slavery offences, while one woman in Sydney was charged with terror-related offences, including allegedly joining Islamic State.
Political criticism and restrictions
News of the women’s return has drawn criticism from political opponents, who said the centre-left government failed to stop their travel to Australia. The government has said there were very serious limits on preventing citizens from re-entering the country.
The Australian Broadcasting Corp reported that one woman from western Sydney was issued a temporary exclusion order preventing her from returning. Her child was not covered by the order but decided to stay, according to the report.
Security preparations
The government said law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been preparing for such returns for more than a decade and have plans to monitor those arriving.
