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ISIS-linked women and children arrive in Australia on flights from Qatar, no charges laid
Two flights carrying women and children linked to the Islamic State group landed in Sydney and Melbourne from Doha. The AFP confirmed four women and children arrived in Sydney and two women with children in Melbourne. No charges have been laid and the women have been released into the community.
Two flights carrying women and children with links to the Islamic State group have touched down in Australia, arriving in Sydney and Melbourne from Doha. The Australian Federal Police confirmed that four women and their children arrived in Sydney while another two women and their children landed in Melbourne, marking the latest cohort of ISIS-linked Australians to be repatriated.
Unlike a previous repatriation several weeks ago, when women in both Victoria and New South Wales were charged upon arrival, no one in this latest group has been charged at this stage. The AFP stated that the women have been released into the community, though investigations remain ongoing. In New South Wales, local health authorities offered some of the arriving women health assistance.
The repatriation has reignited public debate about the return of ISIS-linked nationals. Former Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke previously described the adult women as having made the horrific choice to join a terrorist organization and to place their children in an unspeakable situation. Community advocate Kamalle Dabboussy, who has been involved in efforts to bring the women and children back, argued that they are caring mothers who want to return to Australia.
Dabboussy contended that Australia would be safer with these children returning now rather than remaining in volatile Middle Eastern camps under the influence of radical elements. He argued that if the children return as adults having missed proper education and integration, they would pose a greater security risk and be harder for security agencies to monitor.
The returns come amid heightened security awareness in Australia, particularly following the Bondi attack and other terrorism-related incidents. Security agencies have been monitoring the women through encrypted communications for several years and have gathered extensive information. The AFP said that while no arrests have been made at this time, the investigation into the backgrounds and activities of all returning individuals continues.