Overview
- Thirteen Australian citizens linked to Islamic State, including four women and nine children, landed Thursday evening in Melbourne and Sydney after transiting through Doha, with local media reporting police arrested at least one woman on the Sydney flight.
- Australian Federal Police said some returnees will be charged and others remain under investigation, citing evidence gathered in Syria for offences such as entering declared areas and crimes against humanity including slave trading.
- Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government provided no assistance for the journey and has planned since 2014 to manage such returns, noting strict legal limits on blocking citizens and confirming a Temporary Exclusion Order remains in force for another woman in the wider cohort.
- Officials said the children will enter community reintegration, therapeutic care and countering violent extremism programs, and state police outlined plans to place children with relatives or child protection services if a caregiver is detained.
- Syrian authorities claimed Australia refused to receive the group, a point disputed by Australian departments, as agencies note prior repatriations in 2019 and 2022 and say about 21 Australians are still in the al-Roj camp.