New Australian batch  of  ISIS families returns from Syria

A new batch of women and children from families of armed members affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) — an internationally designated terrorist  group that has committed widespread abuses — have arrived in Australia from Roj camp in Syria's northeastern countryside of Hasakah, reopening one of Australia's most sensitive domestic politics files.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said on Tuesday (May 26) that two planes carrying women and children linked to the group had landed in the country, as part of tight security arrangements that accompanied the arrival.

Distributed arrival between Melbourne and Sydney

According to the information, two women and seven children — including an 18-year-old man — arrived at Melbourne Airport, while another group arrived in Sydney.

  The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said the  returnees left Roj camp last week, and that most of them had travelled on flights through Qatar, in a complex logistical process that required coordination between several parties.

Sydney airport witnessed a remarkable deployment of officers armed with rifles, in a sign of the sensitivity of the file, and according to the authority, the police quietly disembarked the women and children, patrolling the arrival area, while the Melbourne group left through a separate corridor away from the eyes of the media.

 These measures reflect security concerns that have existed for years, with authorities fearing that some returnees may be involved in ISIS-related activities, or may have combat or intellectual expertise that could pose a threat inside the country.

Australian government: Sanctions ready

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reiterated that the government had not provided any financial support for the proceeds, warning that any woman found to be involved in crimes "will face the maximum penalty provided by law".

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the group had arranged its return "without any government assistance", adding that "those who chose to join a dangerous terrorist organisation have put themselves and their children in an indescribable situation".

Burke stressed that any member of this group who has committed crimes "can expect to face the maximum punishments", referring to strict laws regarding travel to restricted areas or association with terrorist groups.

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On May 6, the Australian authorities announced the return of 13 of its citizens linked to ISIS elements from northeastern Syria, including 4 women and 9 children, who were residing in the "Roj" camp in the countryside of Al-Hasakah province.

The Australian Federal Police announced at the time that they had collected evidence from inside Syrian territory, as part of investigations aimed at determining whether Australian citizens had committed crimes punishable by law, such as traveling to restricted areas or engaging in illegal activities, including human trafficking.

Federal Police Commissioner Chrissy Barrett said "some individuals will be arrested and charged," without providing further details about the nature of the charges or how many people might be involved.

A thorny file since 2019

Since the fall of the last ISIS stronghold in Syria in 2019, hundreds of foreign women and children have remained in al-Hol and Roj camps, amid international reluctance to repatriate their nationals.

Australia has approached the case with extreme caution, repatriating only limited groups in recent years, due to security concerns about the return of individuals involved in terrorist activities, domestic political pressures, legal challenges related to proving crimes committed abroad, and humanitarian considerations related to children born or raised in the camps

The return of the new batch reflects the continuation of Australia's approach to balancing national security protection with humanitarian obligations to children.

Recent developments suggest that the Australian government is dealing with each case on a case-by-case basis, in the absence of a unified policy to repatriate all its nationals from conflict zones.