ISIS bride families ‘have made plans’ to come to Australia: Tony Burke
Updated ,first published
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett has announced that some of the 13 Australians with links to Islamic State in Syria will be arrested and charged when they return to Australia.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed on Wednesday that four women and nine children stranded in a camp in northern Syria intend to return to Australia, as this imprint revealed last week.
Australia’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been preparing for their return since 2014 and “have long-standing plans to manage and monitor them”, Burke said.
“The government has not and will not provide any assistance to this group of four women and nine children,” Burke said in a statement. he said.
“These are people who have made the terrible choice to join a dangerous terrorist organization and put their children in an unspeakable situation. As we have said many times, any member of this group who commits a crime can expect to face the full force of the law.”
Speaking at a press conference in Canberra, Barrett said police were investigating whether Australians who had traveled to Syria since 2015 “may have committed Commonwealth crimes, including terrorism offenses and crimes against humanity, such as entering or remaining in designated areas”.
“Some people will be arrested and charged,” Barrett said.
“Some will face ongoing investigations upon arrival in Australia, and children returning to the group will be required to undergo community integration programmes, therapeutic support and counter violent extremism programmes.”
Barrett said he could not say how many of the women would be arrested when they returned to Australia.
Speaking at a press conference in Canberra, Burke emphasized that the government “has not and will not help these people”.
“They made a terrible and shameful decision” [to travel to Syria]he said.
“If any of these individuals find their way back to Australia, they can expect to face the full force of the law if they have committed a crime.”
This imprint reported last month that a group of 13 women and children linked to the Islamic State trying to return to Australia had plane tickets to Australia and hoped to leave Damascus in the next few days.
The group has been held in camps since the fall of the so-called caliphate and the death or capture of their husbands and fathers, who allegedly fought for the Islamic State.
More to come
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