Burke Says Isis Brides Group Will Reach Australia With Arrest Risk
Four Australian women and nine children linked to isis brides are expected to fly from Syria to Australia on Thursday, with some adults facing arrest and possible charges when they land. Home affairs minister Tony Burke said the government knew the group had started the journey and that Australia had provided no assistance.
Tony Burke on the return
Burke said the women and children had made their own arrangements to leave Syria, and that the adults could face the law if police believe crimes were committed. 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". Burke also said: "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 group is part of a larger cohort of 34 Australian women and their children who had been stuck in al-Roj camp in northern Syria for several years. Australian citizens cannot legally be prevented from returning home unless a formal exclusion order is in place, and Burke said he had issued one such order to stop one woman in Syria from returning on national security grounds, based on Asio advice.
Al-Roj and the second attempt
Krissy Barrett, the AFP commissioner, said operational planning for the return of these individuals started in 2015. She said the government was alerted on Wednesday morning to the planned departure of a group of 13 who left al-Roj and travelled to Damascus last month, and that all 13 hold Australian passports.
The group had already been turned back by Syrian authorities in February during a much larger attempt to travel home. This time, the four women and nine children are expected to arrive via flights from Doha, and police said some adults may be arrested on arrival. The children will be required to take part in an anti-extremist program and receive psychological support.
Police and Asio response
Asio director general Mike Burgess said: "The government understands our assessed risk". He added: "It’s up to them what they do when they get here. If they start to exhibit signs of concern, we and the police, through the joint counter-terrorism teams, will take action."
Burgess also said: "I’m not concerned immediately by their return but they’ll get our attention, as you expect." For the families on the move, that means the journey is only the first step; the next will come at the airport, where police decisions and child-support measures begin to take effect.
