Australia is on alert for the return of 13 women and children linked to Islamic State from a Syrian camp, after they booked commercial flights home.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke made clear that “the government has not and will not provide” assistance to the four women and nine children, who form part of a larger group of 34 believed to include wives, widows, and children of IS fighters. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said some individuals will face arrest and charges upon arrival.
The full group departed al-Roj camp in north-eastern Syria, run by Kurdish forces, back in February but returned shortly afterwards for technical reasons. Australia has consistently refused to organise their official repatriation, a stance shared by several Western nations amid security concerns. The facility holds tens of thousands of IS affiliates in precarious conditions, marked by escapes and unrest.
Burke, speaking to reporters on Wednesday, condemned their choices. “These are people who have made the horrific choice to join a dangerous terrorist organisation and to place their children in an unspeakable situation,” he said.
“As we have said many times – any members of this cohort who have committed crimes can expect to face the full force of the law,” he emphasised.
Officials received word of the bookings via an automated alert that morning. “The alert is received the moment the booking takes place so that was provided to us this morning,” Burke explained. While legal constraints limit efforts to block citizens’ returns, the government has prepared plans since 2014 to manage and monitor them.
Investigators have spent over a decade building cases on terrorism offences and crimes against humanity, including slave trading. Barrett confirmed ongoing probes for those not arrested, while children will enter community integration programmes, therapeutic support, and deradicalisation efforts.
ASIO head Mike Burgess expressed measured caution. “It’s up to them what they do when they get here, and if they start to exhibit signs that concern us, we and the police, through the joint counter-terrorism teams, will take action,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.