Confused about ‘ISIS brides’? Here’s some context
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke earlier today confirmed seven women and 12 children formerly linked to ISIS would arrive in Sydney and Melbourne.
‘The government has not and will not provide any assistance to this group,’ he said.
‘These are people who have made the horrific choice to join a dangerous terrorist organisation and to place their children in an unspeakable situation.
‘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.’
The women, and some of their children, left Australia between 2012 and 2016 to join men allegedly part of ISIS – a terrorist group that sought to seize power in Iraq and Syria.
Following the group’s fall in 2019, the women and their children were placed in Al-Roj refugee camp in far northeastern Syria.
The men were either executed or imprisoned. Boys held in Al-Roj were also transferred to adult prison once they hit teenage years, sometimes slightly before.
The Australian Government has had over a decade to prepare for the repatriation of the women and children.
Four of the women arrived in Australia, three in Melbourne and one in Sydney, earlier this month. Only one walked free, the rest were arrested and charged.
It is unclear whether the women who arrived in Australia on Tuesday will be charged.
Reports suggest police are prioritising the women and children’s quiet removal from Sydney and Melbourne airports.