A group of women and children attempting to return to Australia after years of detention in Syria over their links to the Islamic State group would “be met by the full force of the law” if they were found to have committed any crimes, Health Minister Mark Butler has warned.
Four women and nine children reportedly left the Al-Roj detention camp for the Syrian capital of Damascus on Saturday in co-ordination with security forces.
The group had previously received passports through prominent western Sydney doctor Jamal Rifi.
An earlier attempt by the group to reach Damascus had failed, and at least one member of the cohort is subject to a temporary exclusion order, which could lead to them being banned from re-entering Australia for up to two years over security concerns.
The Albanese government has denied assisting the group, but admitted that they were entitled under legislation to repatriation.
“But, that’s a legal issue, not a practical issue,” Mr Butler told Sky News on Sunday, adding the government’s position had not changed.
“I think what (Home Affairs Minister) Tony Burke has said right through the course of this is that if they manage to get to Australian borders and they have committed any crimes, they will be met by the full force of law at those borders.
“Also, obviously, security agencies will be providing Tony Burke with security advice to ground any decision.”
About 34 women and children linked to former fighters – dubbed the “ISIS brides” – attempted to leave the detention camp in Syria’s northwest after more than six years earlier this year, following fighting between the new Syrian government and Kurdish forces.
The group have been assisted by Dr Rifi, an Order of Australia recipient who, in an letter in February, said Australia would be “safer” if they were allowed to return.
“I said publicly that these children were the first victims of the terrible actions of their fathers,” Dr Rifi said, noting his medical treatment, and assistance for, the group over a period of more than a decade.
The Coalition, however, has repeatedly urged for the government to deny the group re-entry to Australia, including children among them.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said the government should be doing everything it could “possible can to not accept these people back into the country”.
Mr Taylor noted it was a criminal offence to support a proscribed terrorist group.
“It’s clear they (the government) have been providing assistance, whether it’s through issuing or distributing passports, whether it’s through DNA tests, whether indeed it is supporting third parties to do the repatriation,” he told the ABC.
Mr Taylor said the government had “a lot of discretion” in issuing passports, and criticised them for not supporting legislation that would have stopped the cohort from entering the country.
Asked about ASIO’s assessment of the group, Mr Taylor said the Coalition “need to know more about when the last security assessments were done”.
“What we know from that. and why only one exclusion order has been issued,” he said.
Asked if he “trusted ASIO”, Mr Taylor repeatedly stated: “I don’t trust the government.
“Well, in the end, it’s the government that makes these decisions and they are making decisions.”
Shadow assistant minister for the NDIS Henry Pike earlier told Sky News later that it was “concerning we’ve reached this point”.
“They should not have been issued with passports to begin with,” he said.
“It was within the government’s purview to reject those, and unfortunately the government has really lost control of this whole process. “
Mr Pike said it had been four years since anyone in the group had been “assessed” for their level of risk.
“We don’t know whether they’ve become more ideological as time gone along,” he said.
“We simply have no idea who these people are, and I think the government should be doing all it can to try to prevent their travel to Australia over the next few hours.”
