A group of Australian women and children linked to Islamic State (IS) has returned home from Syria. According to multiple reports, two planes landed in Melbourne and Sydney on Tuesday, carrying seven women and twelve children who were held in the al-Roj camp since 2019. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed the government's stance, stating that those who committed crimes can expect legal consequences.
Key Takeaways
A group of Australian women and children linked to Islamic State (IS) has returned home from Syria. Two planes landed in Melbourne and Sydney on Tuesday, carrying seven women and twelve children who were held in the al-Roj camp since 2019. Among those returning are Kirsty Rosse-Emile and Nesrine Zahab, whose father described her involvement as a 'mistake'. One woman remains in Syria due to a temporary exclusion order. The return has drawn criticism from opponents, but the government maintains there are limits on preventing Australian citizens from re-entering the country.
- Seven women and twelve children returned to Australia from Syria
- Among them are Kirsty Rosse-Emile and Nesrine Zahab, who claimed she was tricked into traveling to Syria
- One woman remains in Syria due to a temporary exclusion order
- Authorities have been preparing for their return since 2014
- The return has drawn criticism from political opponents
The group reportedly left the camp on Thursday and boarded flights to Australia from Damascus on Monday. Authorities have been preparing for their return since 2014, with plans in place to manage and monitor them.
Among those returning are Kirsty Rosse-Emile, who left Australia at 19, and Nesrine Zahab, whose father described her involvement as a 'mistake' made in her early 20s. He expressed gratitude towards the Australian government for facilitating her return. Others include Sumaya Zahab and Aminah Zahab, sister and mother of IS recruiter Muhammad Zahab. One woman remains in Syria due to a temporary exclusion order.
Nesrine has previously claimed she did not willingly enter Syria and was brought there against her will. The return has drawn criticism from opponents, who argue the government failed to stop repatriations. However, the government maintains there are limits on preventing Australian citizens from re-entering the country. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies have prepared for such returns for over a decade.
An Australian woman who returned home in September from a Syrian refugee camp has been charged with allegedly joining Islamic State and entering and remaining in a declared conflict zone, authorities said on Thursday. The 34-year-old traveled to Syria between 2013 and 2014 with others, including a man, to allegedly join ISIS, according to the Australian Federal Police (AFP). Both offences carry a maximum penalty of up to ten years in prison.
The woman is expected to appear in a Melbourne court on Thursday. Kurdish forces detained her in March 2019 and she was held with family members in the Al-Hawl refugee camp. Police said she returned to Australia from Lebanon with another woman, aged 36, and that investigations into both women are ongoing.
The charges follow the return earlier this month of two women charged with slavery-related offences and a third with terror offences, including allegedly joining ISIS. A second group of Australian women and children arrived on Tuesday from a Syrian camp with no charges laid on arrival.
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