Nineteen Australian women and children linked to Islamic State have been quietly processed at Sydney and Melbourne airports and allowed out into the community with no charges being laid, after more than seven years trapped in camps in Syria.

At Melbourne airport, video taken by a News Corporation photographer appeared to show Abraham Abbas, the brother of so-called ISIS bride Kawsar Abbas, pushing the camera into the photographer’s face as he captured returning woman Kirsty Rosse-Emile and her two children.

 A man confronts a member of the media as Islamic State-linked families arrive at Melbourne.AAPIt’s the second time that Melbourne-based family members of the Islamic State-linked returnees have been involved in altercations with the media, after another scuffle when a group of women arrived on May 7.

In a statement, NSW and Victoria joint counter-terrorism teams said the women and children had been “subject to a range of operational responses, including the searching of belongings and the downloading of their devices for investigative purposes.

“No one arriving within this cohort has been charged, however, investigations into the activities of Australians who travelled to Syria – including those who have since returned – are ongoing.

“Police and the JCTTs will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure community safety is upheld.”

 The families leave Sydney Airport.Sitthixay DitthavongGovernment sources who cannot be named because they are not authorised to speak have told this masthead some women may be charged in coming days. When the previous cohort arrived on May 7, they were arrested at the airport and removed by police.

Flights carrying the seven women and 12 children arrived on Tuesday at about 4.30pm in Melbourne and 5.30pm in Sydney from Damascus, via Doha.

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In Sydney, NSW Police told waiting reporters the women had been given the option of leaving the airport with the help of the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, or going out the public entrance.

All the women took the quiet option and were released from the airport before 8pm.

 The families leave Sydney Airport.Sitthixay DitthavongIn Melbourne, the Australian Federal Police told reporters about two hours after the women and children arrived that they’d been processed and let out a side door rather than through the usual arrivals gate where media were waiting. Melbourne Airport said the operation was handled by Australian Border Force, which was approached for comment.

The kid-gloves treatment by authorities is a tacit admission that they mishandled the previous return of women and children on May 7, when frenzied scenes included airport arrests, private security guards and a significant scuffle in Melbourne.

Sources close to the returned families say those events had traumatised children already fragile after growing up for seven years in camps.

The return of this group means that, apart from one woman subject to a temporary exclusion order, Hodan Abby, and her child, all the Australian so-called “ISIS brides” are now out of Syria for the first time since the end of the so-called Islamic State caliphate in March 2019.

The women returning to Sydney are Nesrine Zahab, who was 21 when she claims she was tricked into going into Syria by her cousin and IS recruiter Muhammad Zahab; Aminah Zahab, Muhammad’s wife, and Sumaya Zahab, Muhammad’s sister.

Hyam Raad, about whom little is known, is the fourth woman returning to Sydney.

Two more women, accompanied by seven children, landed in Melbourne.

They are Kawsar Kanj, about whom little is known, and Kirsty Rosse-Emile, the daughter of two former Christians who converted to Islam when she was nine. Kirsty’s sister Krystle told the ABC in February that Kirsty was married at 14 to a much older man who was a friend of her father’s. Krystle said her sister had been groomed to go to Syria.

The Australian citizens left the al-Roj camp in north-eastern Syria late last week in a trip organised and funded by family members. Among them was one young woman who just turned 18 and who is the daughter of one of the so-called “ISIS brides”.

 Islamic State-linked woman Kirsty Rosse-Emile gets into a car after arriving at Melbourne Airport this evening.AAPIMAGEAbby and her nine-year-old daughter – who requires medical treatment for a series of shrapnel wounds – were denied permission to board the flight in Damascus. They had tickets to Sydney, but the airline turned them back because the Albanese government had imposed a two-year temporary exclusion order on the mother.

Abby elected to keep her child with her, even though her daughter has serious medical issues caused by shrapnel wounds she suffered as a baby.

The child has shrapnel in her head, neck and hip, which this masthead reported in 2021 made it difficult for her to walk and caused delayed speech and development.

Sources close to the family group but unwilling to speak publicly say the child needs medical attention and was experiencing ongoing physical disabilities. Abby herself also has a piece of shrapnel in her chest.

Australian government sources have said they will not provide consular assistance to Abby and her child.

Sources close to the families have confirmed Abby will challenge the permit in the federal courts, though that application has not yet been lodged. They also have the option of applying for a return permit. Lawyers for the family group declined to comment.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in question time he had “nothing but contempt for anyone who has any sympathy with ISIS”. He added the government had provided no assistance, and that they would face “the full force of the law, to the extent available, upon the advice of the security agencies”.

JUST IN: 10 YEARS IN ISIS TERRITORY… NOW THEY’RE BACK IN AUSTRALIA 😳✈️

The arrival of another group of women linked to I.S.I…S… in Sydney and Melbourne has reignited one of Australia’s most divisive debates. After spending up to a decade in conflict zones under the control of the extremist organization, these women have returned home, bringing with them a storm of controversy, outrage, and heated discussions about justice, rehabilitation, and national security.

According to reports, Australian authorities coordinated the repatriation under strict supervision, emphasizing that these returns were managed to minimize potential risks to the community. However, the details of the repatriation, combined with reports that some of the women received what critics describe as “kid gloves” treatment, have sparked intense debate across the country. Many Australians are struggling to reconcile the notion of allowing former I.S.I…S… members back into society with the need to uphold security, justice, and moral accountability.

The women, whose identities have not been disclosed publicly for safety and legal reasons, arrived at airports under police escort, with law enforcement and intelligence officers present to ensure compliance with all legal protocols. Early reports indicate that these individuals were subject to health screenings, security checks, and mandatory interviews immediately upon landing. Yet, some critics argue that the public perception of leniency — described as “soft treatment” — undermines the severity of the crimes associated with I.S.I…S… and could set a troubling precedent.

“The concern is that these individuals spent years actively supporting a terrorist organization responsible for atrocities,” said one security expert. “To some Australians, allowing them back without visible accountability measures is tantamount to sending the wrong message. At the same time, there are protocols in place to assess risk and manage reintegration, which are essential from a legal and security standpoint.”