A group of women and children are expected to arrive back in Australia today following years in limbo, bringing an end to their efforts to leave a refugee camp in north-east Syria.
Known as ‘ISIS brides’, four women and nine children are expected to arrive on Thursday evening in Sydney and Melbourne, travelling via Doha. Police are expected to be waiting for their arrival at the airport.
The group left the refugee camp last month and have been in Damascus since.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett spoke at a press conference alongside Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke on Wednesday, saying some of the individuals would be arrested and charged on their arrival.
“Some individuals will be arrested and charged,” Barrett said. “Some will face continued investigations when they arrive in Australia.”
“And children who return in the cohort will be asked to undergo community integration programs, therapeutic support, and countering violent extremist programs.”
A larger group of women and children had attempted to return to Australia earlier this year, in February, but were stopped by local authorities.
The group has lived in camps in Syria since the death or capture of their husbands and fathers, who allegedly fought for the Islamic State.
The federal government has repeatedly said it would offer no assistance to the group as they tried to return. Burke said the government was notified of their travel plans when their tickets were booked.
“Our world-class law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been preparing for their return since 2014 and have long-standing plans in place to manage and monitor them,” he said.
The government previously organised the repatriation of a separate group of women and children from a Syrian refugee camp in 2022.
ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said he was not concerned by the return of the families to Australia, but ASIO would monitor their activities.
“It’s up to them what they do when they get here. If they start to exhibit signs of concern, we and the police, through the joint counter-terrorism teams, will take action,” Burgess said.
“I’m not concerned immediately by their return, but they will get our attention as you’d expect.”
Mat Tinkler, CEO of Save the Children Australia, said two-thirds of the cohort returning to Australia from Syria are children.
“There’s been a lot of focus on the women and the choices they may have made but we need to focus on these children and give them a chance of resuming a normal life in Australia,” he said.
He told the ABC that the children have grown up in camps with limited access to healthcare and education, in conditions that would shock most Australians.
Feature image: AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett.