Australia’s warning to ‘ISIS bride’ group after Syria says government refused to repatriate them

The federal government has warned that some members of the so-called ISIS brides group could face the “full force of the law” after rejecting a recent attempt by some to leave Syria.

They are all part of the larger group of 34 Australians – 11 women dubbed the ISIS brides and 23 children – who spent seven years at the remote facility after the fall of the caliphate in 2019.

Syria’s Ministry of Information told the Associated Press that the group of 13 were turned back before reaching the airport after the Foreign Ministry was told that “the Australian government had refused to receive them.”

“These families are still waiting for a solution, which can only be achieved through coordination with the relevant international parties,” the Ministry of Information said.

Home Secretary Tony Burke told reporters this morning that the government’s position remains unchanged: “We will not repatriate. We will not assist.”

He suggested some members of the group would face the “full force of the law” if they returned to Australia.

“This is not a cohesive group, so we should not expect that every individual will have the same legal challenges as some,” he said.

“I leave it to the Australian Federal Police to make announcements or to choose not to make announcements. There’s no way I’m going to interfere with anything operationally.

“But I will say this: anyone who has broken the law will face the full force of the law and I suspect some of these individuals will wonder if they ever want to come back to Australia.”

The US has also pressured countries to repatriate their citizens from the Al-Roj camp.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he has “stated our position for some time.”

Yesterday, Albanian minister and Foreign Minister Penny Wong both told reporters that the government was neither helping nor repatriating the group.

The group had attempted to return to Australia in February but were forced to return to camp due to an unspecified technical problem.

Burke could temporarily ban one woman from entering Australia, but had no legal grounds to deny passports or temporarily ban others.

The group’s inevitable return and recent attempts have sparked fierce debate, with Labor and the Coalition agreeing the group should not be allowed into the country, while the Greens and organizations such as Save the Children Australia are calling for the children to be returned safely.

NEVER MISS A STORY: Be the first to receive your latest news and exclusive stories by following us on all platforms.