Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has made it crystal clear that his administration will not extend any support to a group of Australian families formerly associated with ISIS, who have been attempting to make their way back to Australia from north-eastern Syria.
This group, consisting of 34 women and children from 11 families, had set their sights on traveling from the Al Roj refugee camp to Damascus, the capital of Syria. However, their plans were thwarted when Syrian authorities intercepted and turned them back before they could reach their intended destination.
In a firm stance, Albanese has categorically ruled out any government assistance for these families, underscoring his administration’s position on the matter. During an appearance on ABC News Breakfast, he stated, “We have a very firm view that we won’t be providing assistance or repatriation.”
Further emphasizing the seriousness of the situation, Albanese added, “We want to make it clear, as we have to the people involved, if there are any breaches of the law then they will face the full force of the Australian law.” His message serves as a stark warning to any individuals considering similar actions.
‘We have a very firm view that we won’t be providing assistance or repatriation,’ the Prime Minister told ABC News Breakfast on Tuesday.
‘We want to make it clear, as we have to the people involved, if there are any breaches of the law then they will face the full force of the Australian law.
‘My mother would have said, ‘If you make your bed, you lie in it.’ These are people who went overseas and went there to provide support for people who basically want a caliphate.’
His comment comes after family members of the ISIS brides claimed it was just a matter of time before they returned to Australia.
Anthony Albanese has ruled out helping a convoy of Australian families previously tied to ISIS who have been trying to return home from Syria
A group of 11 families, made up of 34 women and children, were planning to travel from north-eastern Syria to the country’s capital, Damascus
‘This is just a postponement. They will be leaving within hours or days,’ the families’ friend told The Australian.
‘The team in Syria are not trying to ask “Why?”, they are just trying to get the approvals done. The post-mortem will be done later.’
The ISIS brides left the Syrian refugee camp on Monday morning under the escort of Kurdish security forces, who are in control of a small section of north-eastern Syria.
However, Syrian authorities did not allow the convoy to continue to the capital and ordered their return to Al Roj.
Sources told the ABC the group consisted of 34 people who had already been issued Australian passports.
It is unclear whether the group had obtained the passports or were going to collect them in the capital.
They were to go to Damascus and plan the trip to Australia from there.
Dr Jamal Rifi, a Lebanese Muslim community leader in Sydney, is understood to be in Syria and providing assistance to the families.
Pictured, family members of suspected Islamic State militants who are Australian nationals sit in a van heading to the airport in Damascus
On Tuesday, Liberal Senator Jonno Duniam demanded transparency from the Albanese government, claiming there had been ‘secret meetings’.
He claimed notes from those discussions implied a willingness to ‘pave the way’ for the families’ return.
‘The Albanese Government must prove to Australians they are finally serious about protecting our country from the risks associated with returning ISIS brides,’ he said.
‘The government must commit 100 per cent to doing everything to prevent these people from re‑entering Australia while they present a risk.
‘These are people who have been part of a group that want to attack our way of life and are a very serious risk to our society.’
Duniam also called for the government to issue Temporary Exclusion Orders, saying it was the least it could do and ‘anything less will be a failure’.
Temporary Exclusion Orders are ministerial orders which legally prevent citizens aged 14 and over from re‑entering Australia for up to two years, to manage security threats.
Last week, the government confirmed it would continue to allow the women linked to ISIS, known as ‘ISIS brides’, and their children to return to Australia by their own means.
Under current rules, the families are allowed to return; however, the government does not provide them with assistance or conduct repatriation efforts.
The policy was confirmed by Environment Minister Murray Watt during a Senate estimates hearing on February 10.
The government has previously warned that Australians found to have committed crimes overseas will be prosecuted upon return.
In September, two women and four children linked to Islamic State fighters returned to Australia after getting themselves out of Syria via Lebanon.
They had fled the Al-Hol detention centre in north-east Syria.
The group was then issued Australian passports after security and DNA checks, with the department briefed three months ahead of their intended return.
