Women And Children Linked To Islamic State Return To Australia From Syrian Detention Camp/ Image @ BBC
Thirteen women and children with connections to the Islamic State (IS) have returned to Australia after spending years in the al-Roj detention camp in Syria.
Their arrival follows a contentious political discourse in Australia, where the government had previously stated it would not assist in their repatriation.
The group, consisting of three women and eight children believed to be part of the same family, landed in Melbourne late Thursday afternoon. Another woman and her child arrived in Sydney shortly thereafter.
Authorities have indicated that some of the women will face arrest and charges upon their return, while others are subject to ongoing investigations.
The Melbourne contingent reportedly includes grandmother Kawsar Abbas along with her adult daughters, Zeinab and Zahra Ahmed, and their eight children.
Kawsar Abbas is married to Mohammad Ahmad, who allegedly operated a charity suspected by Australian police of funneling funds to IS.
Ahmad denied these allegations in a 2019 interview with ABC while incarcerated in Syria.
The woman arriving in Sydney has been identified by local media as Janai Safar, who is accompanied by her nine-year-old son, born in Syria. Safar, a former nursing student from Sydney, traveled to Syria in 2015 and is said to have married an IS fighter.
In a 2019 interview, she expressed that her decision to go to Syria was her own, and she feared returning to Australia due to potential arrest and the possibility of her child being taken away.
Police Commissioner, Krissy Barratt confirmed yesterday that some women would be arrested and charged with potential terrorism offenses, including entering or remaining in declared areas, as well as crimes against humanity such as engaging in slave trading.
The group of thirteen is part of a larger cohort of thirty-four individuals, including wives, widows, and children of IS fighters, who left the camp in February but returned for “technical reasons,” with the Australian government refusing to officially repatriate them.
Earlier this year, one member of the cohort received a “temporary exclusion order,” preventing their return for up to two years. The individual was not among those who arrived on Thursday.
While boarding a connecting flight to Melbourne in Doha, the women expressed their eagerness to return home, describing Australia as “like paradise.”
One remarked, “We just want our children to be safe. It was like hell in Syria for them.”
Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, stated that the government became aware of the women’s return yesterday when tickets were booked.
He emphasized that these individuals had made the “horrific choice” to join a dangerous terrorist organization and placed their children in perilous situations.
Burke added that any members of this group who have committed crimes should expect to face legal consequences.
The government has been preparing for the group’s return since 2014, with established plans for their management and monitoring.
Mike Burgess, head of Australia’s spy agency, noted that while he is not “immediately concerned” about their return, they will be closely monitored.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen announced that children returning to her state would be required to participate in countering violent extremism programs, deeming this measure appropriate.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong