This is a Lib/Lab effort. They are both equally guilty.
We are being deceived every step of the way. All of this was supposed to be concealed from the public. To reimport these savages with their brood is revolting.
Australian authorities are preparing for the return of more women and children from former Islamic State caliphates in the Middle East, but the prime minister says they are not coming back with his government’s support.
Two women and four children who are Australian citizens have returned to Australia after managing to smuggle themselves out of Syria to Lebanon, where they were issued Australian passports after passing security checks.
The women – who had travelled or were taken to Syria to become partners of IS members – and their children had been living in refugee camps in Syria after the collapse of the terrorist group.
It has stirred up a political storm for Anthony Albanese’s government as the opposition criticises the return of so-called “ISIS brides”, saying it had been kept secret from the public amid community safety concerns.
Coalition leader Sussan Ley made the issue a key focus during question time on Thursday, asking why the prime minister said the government was not providing assistance to the group despite confirmation it had helped with passports, medical interviews and DNA tests.
“Everything that was just described as ‘assistance’ by the leader of the opposition would have been an offence for the government to not do,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said, after being directed by Mr Albanese to answer a question asked of him.
“These individuals received what they were entitled to by law. No more and no less.”
Another question later directed at Mr Albanese about how many more women would return and where they would live was later brushed off.
“The assumptions in the question are wrong because the assumptions suggest that they’re coming back to Australia with our support, which they are not,” the prime minister said.
Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt said authorities were preparing for the arrival of more people under similar circumstances, but would not confirm how many due to possible fluctuations.
Mr Nutt also refused to confirm the location of the six people, saying there were ongoing investigations following their return.
The investigations were part of the federal police’s management of “Australians of counter-terrorism interest offshore”, he told a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday, without detailing specifics.
Stressing he wasn’t making a specific reference to the group, Mr Nutt said the broad remit of investigations for people in a conflict zone could include criminal offences relating to terrorism, foreign incursion and crimes against humanity.
Home Affairs secretary Stephanie Foster confirmed Labor had repatriated four women and 13 children in 2022 and the former coalition government had repatriated eight unaccompanied minors in 2019.
Under the formal Liberal government, 40 people returned of their own accord.
This included people who fought for IS, provided support for the designated terrorist group or joined other Islamic extremist groups, Mr Burke said.
AFP confirms probe on returned ISIS brides
The Australian Federal Police has confirmed there is an ongoing investigation surrounding the returned so-called ISIS brides, as the Albanese government faces increasing pressure on its involvement in how the group returned to Australia.
The cohort of two women and four children arrived from Beirut, Lebanon to Australia on September 26, with Home Affairs stating they had known about their plans since June.
The women were previously detained in Beirut after escaping Syria following the collapse of the Islamic State in 2019.
While senior AFP officials were light on details, and said it was being “very cautious” about what aspects of the case would be made public, Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt confirmed the force was conducting an investigation related to managing counter-terrorism.
He said the investigations also involved other Commonwealth groups, ASIO and state and territory police.
“I can assure you that we have appropriate investigations, criminal investigations underway in relation to those who require criminal investigation as part of an Australian cohort offshore and their return,” he said.
Asked about whether the communities had been consulted prior to the group re-homing in Australia, Mr Nutt said he expected that work would be done by community liaison teams.
While he couldn’t give a timeline, or definitely say engagement had been completed, he said “it would not be a surprise to me that has been scheduled”.
The individuals are being probed as part of the long-running Operation Howth, which first began in 2014, and included engagement with overseas agencies.
However, he would not reveal where the group had resettled due to the ongoing investigation.
“I’ll say there is an investigation and the reason why there is an investigation is why I’m being very cautious about any public comment that could have an adverse effect to this investigation,” he added.
“Obviously, it’s a very serious matter, and we’re treating it very seriously.”
Mr Nutt also confirmed the office of Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke was briefed on the group’s planned arrival in June this year, on September 25 prior to the group’s arrival and on September 29.
However neither Mr Nutt or AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett could confirm whether Anthony Albanese, or his office had received similar briefings.
Ms Barrett said the AFP were “always preparing” or “always positioned and prepared for any self-managed returns from that region”.
Earlier on Thursday, Labor and Home Affairs officials confirmed under intense questioning that the government did not repatriate or assist in the return of the ISIS brides cohort, and said they came to Australia through personal travel arrangements.
Returned ISIS brides made ‘dreadful’ decision
During question time on Wednesday, Mr Burle said the returned cohort of ISIS brides are Australian citizens who made “an absolutely dreadful decision” to “join others” in “one of the most horrific organisations that the world has seen,” and were being monitored by Australian security agencies.
Previously Anthony Albanese has denied reports the government was assisting the group’s return from Beirut, Lebanon, where they were detained after escaping Syria.
Home Affairs secretary Stephanie Foster said the cohort had organised their travel privately, and the department wasn’t aware of “when and how” they were planning on returning.
Appearing before a senate estimates committee on Wednesday, Ms Foster refused to reveal where the women and children had since resettled because of the “risk sensitivity associated with that knowledge”.
Later in question time, Mr Burke reiterated there had been no government repatriation, stating the government was not “settling people”.
The federal government has previously repatriated citizens linked to the Islamic state in October 2022, under Labor, and in 2019 under the former Coalition government.
“What we have is a situation where we have a number of Australian citizens who made a terrible decision, an absolutely dreadful decision, to go off and join others who were involved in what has been described as one of the most horrific organisations that the world has seen,” he told the parliament.
“This is not the first time that Australian citizens who made that decision have returned. When Australian citizens seek to return to Australia, they are able to do so.”
Mr Burke said security agencies were “constantly engaged” with the returned cohorts.
Responding to Liberal senator James Paterson, Ms Foster could not provide a firm number of how many partners of ISIS members had returned to Australia since the collapse of the Islamist group in 2019.
Though she said the Coalition “repatriated eight unaccompanied minors in 2022”.
“The current government repatriated four women and 13 children, and in September this year, a group of six individuals returned to Australia without repatriation assistance that comprised two women and four children,” Ms Foster said, adding that they arrived on the 26th.
Where is Australia’s Trump? Desperately needed.