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Australian women with alleged ISIL ties returning from Syria, minister says
TL;DR
A group of 13 Australians, including four women and nine children, is set to return from Syria, with some facing arrest for alleged ISIL ties. The Australian Federal Police will take action upon their arrival in Melbourne and Sydney.
Key points
- Group includes four women and nine children
- Expected arrival in Melbourne and Sydney
- Some members will be arrested upon arrival
- Children to receive psychological support
- Women condemned for traveling to Syria
Mentioned in this story
ISILSyriaMelbourneSydneyTony BurkeKrissy Barrett
Australian police say that some members of a group of Australian women and children due to arrive in the country from Syria imminently will be arrested over alleged links to the ISIL (ISIS) armed group.
The 13 Australians — four women and nine children — are expected to return from Syria on Thursday evening local time, arriving at airports in Melbourne and Sydney.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett told reporters on Wednesday that some members of the group would be taken into custody upon arrival, while others remain under active investigation. She added that the children would receive psychological support and participate in programmes focused on countering violent extremism and community integration.
The women and children had been living in the Roj camp in northeastern Syria.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke condemned the women for travelling to Syria and warned that anyone found to have committed offences would face prosecution.
“They made an appalling, disgraceful decision,” Burke said. “If any of these individuals find their way back to Australia, if they have committed crimes, they can expect to face the full force of the law, without exception.”
Burke said the Australian government had not assisted the group’s return, but acknowledged there were “very serious” legal limits on preventing Australian citizens from returning to the country.
Australian authorities have been investigating citizens who travelled to Syria to join ISIL since 2015, when the group was at its height and controlled large parts of the country and neighbouring Iraq.
Hundreds of Western women are believed to have travelled to Iraq and Syria during the peak of the group’s power. Among the most prominent cases was that of British national Shamima Begum, who was stripped of her UK citizenship in 2019 on national security grounds.
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counterterrorism, Ben Saul, urged Australia to prioritise the welfare and protection of the returning women and children, while ensuring that any law enforcement action taken against individuals is “proportionate” and “justified”.
Q&A
What are the charges against the Australian women returning from Syria?
The women are facing arrest due to alleged links to the ISIL armed group, with potential prosecution for any offenses committed.
How many Australians are returning from Syria and when?
Thirteen Australians, consisting of four women and nine children, are expected to return on Thursday evening local time.
What support will the children receive upon returning to Australia?
The children will receive psychological support and participate in programs aimed at countering violent extremism and promoting community integration.
