Australia braces for return of women, children linked to Islamic State

Australia prepared for the arrival of four women and nine children linked to alleged Islamic State fighters after authorities were alerted when the group’s flight booking from Damascus was made on Wednesday morning. The 13 Australians, all citizens with Australian passports, had left Al Roj camp in Syria in late April and were expected to land in Sydney and Melbourne on Thursday evening.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government was not assisting and would not assist their return. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said some of the adults would be arrested and charged on arrival, while others would remain under investigation. One woman and one child were expected to end up in New South Wales, where police were preparing for their arrival.

The AFP said it had been investigating Australians who travelled to Islamic State territory since 2015 and was gathering evidence in Syria to determine whether Commonwealth offences were committed. Those offences include terrorism-related counts, entering or remaining in a declared area, and alleged slave-trade offences. Australia made it an offence to travel to al-Raqqa province in Syria between 5 December 2014 and 28 November 2017, and authorities say people who entered or remained there during that period can still be investigated, arrested and prosecuted.

The children in the cohort are to be offered community integration programs, therapeutic support and countering violent extremism programs. That split response reflects the central policy tension in the case: adult women linked to the Islamic State face the prospect of criminal scrutiny, while the children are treated as minors whose welfare needs require a different government response.

The issue has shadowed Australian policy for years. Citizens previously returned from Al Roj camp in 2019, 2022 and last year, and the Australian Human Rights Commission’s president, Hugh de Kretser, urged the government in March to support the return of 34 Australian women and children still living there. The camp, near the Syrian-Iraqi border, has held relatives of suspected militants since the fall of the Islamic State’s self-declared caliphate in March 2019.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said those involved made a “horrific choice” by joining a dangerous terrorist organisation and placing their children in an extraordinary situation. The latest arrivals will test whether Australia can maintain a consistent model that punishes alleged offending, protects children, and manages the risks that remain long after the collapse of Islamic State’s territory.