Australian Women and Children Suspected of ISIL Links to Be Repatriated from Syria

On February 19, Australian police confirmed that a group of 13 Australian citizens—four women and nine children—will return from Syria later that evening, landing at airports in Melbourne and Sydney. These individuals had been living at the Roj camp in northeastern Syria.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett stated that some members of the group will be detained upon arrival at the airport, while others remain under active investigation. Barrett added that the children will receive psychological support and participate in programs to counter violent extremism, as well as community reintegration.

Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke condemned the actions of the women who traveled to Syria, warning that anyone who committed crimes will face prosecution. "They made a terrible, shameful decision," Burke said. "If any individual among them returns to Australia, and if they have committed crimes, they can expect to face the full force of the law, no exceptions." He also stressed that the Australian government did not facilitate the repatriation of this group but acknowledged "very serious" legal limits on preventing Australian citizens from returning home.

Australian authorities have been investigating citizens who traveled to Syria to join ISIL since 2015, when the group was at the height of its power and controlled large swaths of Syria and neighboring Iraq. Hundreds of Western women are believed to have traveled to Iraq and Syria during the group's peak. Notable cases include British citizen Shamima Begum, who was stripped of her British citizenship in 2019 on national security grounds.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism, Ben Saul, called on Australia to prioritize the welfare and protection of repatriated women and children, ensuring any law enforcement actions against individuals are "proportionate" and "evidence-based."