Government ‘unaware’ of booked flights for ISIS brides returning homeThe Australian government is unaware of plans for the remaining group of so-called ISIS brides to return home as reports emerge they are on their way to the airport.Six women, their children and grandchildren have now left the Al Roj camp in Syria for Damascus, the ABC reported.
Nine.com.au understands the government is not aware of any group booking tickets or making plans to return home at this stageA group of so-called ISIS brides and their children. (9News)
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reiterated that the government was not providing any assistance to the cohort, and anyone suspected of breaking the law will face the full force of the law when reports emerged they would likely return home soon.
Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek repeated that statement to the ABC this morning.“I can tell you they will face the same consequences as their first group, which is if there are any crimes they are accused of, they will be taken into custody and treated with the full force of the law,” she said.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor called on the government to do whatever it could to stop the group from entering Australia.“The government should be doing everything in its power to prevent these people from coming because they turned their backs on our country to support a terrorist organisation,” he told reporters today
“One that has been guilty of extraordinary atrocities, including on Australians.”Last month, four women and nine children boarded flights from Damascus to Sydney and Melbourne.Three of the women – 53-year-old Kawsar Ahmad, her 31-year-old daughter Zeinab Ahmad, and 32-year-old Janai Safar – were arrested upon arrival and later charged.Court sketches depicting Kawsar Ahmad (left) and Zeinab Ahmad (right) during their bail hearings. (AAPJanai Safar arriving at Mascot Police Station (A Current Affair)
The mother and daughter were charged with slavery-related offences, while Safar was charged with joining a terrorist organisation and travelling to a declared conflict zone.All three currently remain in custody pending future court dates.
They are all part of the wider group of 34 Australians – 11 women and 23 children – who have spent the last seven years at the camp due to their alleged links to Islamic State fighters.Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has only been able to legally ban one of the women from returning to Australia.She is expected to remain behind in Syria. Her children will likely join the second group in returning to Australia.
A group of Australians travelled to Syria and Iraq to either join or support ISIS from 2012 to 2019.The federal government has been making plans for their return since 2013.A group of children of a convicted ISIS terrorist were repatriated to Australia in 2019 under the Morrison government and a second group of women and children were repatriated three years later under the Albanese government.
The controversy surrounding Australian women once linked to ISIS has exploded once again after reports emerged that flights may have been quietly arranged for several detainees still being held in camps in northern Syria. Government officials insisted they had not approved any immediate transfers and claimed they were unaware of certain travel arrangements being discussed behind closed doors.
The revelation triggered political outrage across Australia, reigniting a debate that has divided the country for years: should citizens who once joined extremist groups ever be allowed to return home?nnBut while politicians exchanged accusations and media outlets rushed to uncover details of the alleged operation, it was the emotional testimony of one detained woman that shocked the public the most.nnSpeaking through an international aid worker during an interview conducted inside a guarded detention camp, the woman — identified only as “Amina” for security reasons — described the terrifying reality of life inside the overcrowded facilities where thousands of women and children remain trapped years after the collapse of ISIS territory.nn“We were told the world forgot about us,” she said quietly.
“Every day feels like survival. People think everyone here is dangerous, but many of us just want our children to live a normal life again.”nnHer comments immediately spread across social media, where reactions were deeply divided. Some Australians expressed sympathy for the children growing up in harsh desert camps surrounded by violence, disease, and fear.
Others argued that anyone who willingly traveled to ISIS-controlled territory should face serious consequences and never be permitted to return.nnThe scandal intensified after leaked reports suggested that humanitarian organizations had allegedly explored ways to organize emergency flights for several women whose health conditions were rapidly deteriorating. According to the documents, discussions may have occurred without full coordination between regional authorities and Australian officials.nnOpposition politicians accused the government of losing control of national security procedures.nn“This is not a minor administrative issue,” one parliament member declared during a heated press conference.
“Australians deserve to know exactly who is attempting to enter this country and under what conditions.”nnGovernment representatives responded cautiously, insisting that no official repatriation process had been approved beyond existing legal channels. Security agencies also emphasized that any returning adult would face strict investigations, surveillance measures, and potential criminal proceedings depending on the evidence available.nnExperts on counterterrorism warned against turning the issue into pure political theater.
Several analysts noted that the situation in Syrian detention camps has become increasingly unstable, with humanitarian groups repeatedly warning about radicalization risks, poor living conditions, and the growing desperation among detainees.nnOne former intelligence officer explained that leaving citizens indefinitely inside collapsing camps could create even greater dangers in the future.nn“The longer these environments remain chaotic, the harder it becomes to monitor what is happening,” he said during a television interview. “Children raised in trauma and isolation are especially vulnerable.”nnStill, public anger continued to grow after another shocking claim surfaced online.
According to unverified reports circulating on international forums, some detainees allegedly believed they were already preparing for departure before the Australian government publicly denied any knowledge of flight arrangements.nnThat contradiction fueled conspiracy theories and accusations of secret negotiations.nnBut amid all the political chaos, Amina’s testimony remained at the center of the storm.nnIn the most controversial part of her interview, she admitted that many women initially believed they were traveling to Syria for religious or ideological reasons but quickly discovered a brutal reality far different from what they had imagined.nn“There are things I regret every single day,” she said.
“People think we lived some glamorous life. There was nothing glamorous about fear, hunger, explosions, and watching children suffer.”nnShe also described how many women inside the camps now fear retaliation from both extremist supporters and governments unwilling to accept them back.nn“If we stay here forever, our children pay the price too,” she added
