Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) state has repatriated four Australian women and their 13 children from a Syrian refugee camp, Australian Minister of Home Affairs Clare O’Neil said yesterday, in a resumption of a controversial program.
The repatriation, criticized by opposition parties, is part of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s bid to bring back from Syrian refugee camps dozens of Australian women and children who are relatives of dead or jailed fighters from the Islamic State (IS) group.
Australia in 2019 rescued eight children and grandchildren of two dead IS fighters, but has held off repatriating any others until now.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“The decision to repatriate these women and their children was informed by individual assessments following detailed work by national security agencies,” O’Neil said in a statement.
The women and children left the al-Roj refugee camp on Thursday and crossed into Iraq to board a flight home, the Sydney Morning Herald reported on Friday.
The Australian government’s focus has been on the safety and security of “all Australians” and those involved in the repatriation, O’Neil said, adding that the government had “carefully considered the range of security, community and welfare factors in making the decision to repatriate.”
Photo: AFP
The repatriation followed similar moves by the US, Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Britain and Canada, O’Neil said.
She said that allegations of illegal activity would continue to be investigated by state and federal law enforcement authorities.
Local media previously reported some of the women might be charged with terrorism offenses or for entering Syria illegally.
Photo: REUTERS
“Any identified offenses may lead to law enforcement action being taken,” O’Neil said, adding that New South Wales was providing “extensive support services” to help them reintegrate.
Australian lawmaker Peter Dutton of the opposition Liberal Party has labeled the move as not in the country’s best interest, saying the women have mixed with “people who ... hate our way of life.”
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