Australia’s government says 19 Australian women and children linked to the Islamic State (IS) militant group have travel arrangements to return from Syria. Reports describe a group of seven women and 12 children who leave the al-Roj (Roj) camp, which is controlled by Syrian Kurdish forces. According to Australian officials, the group departed the camp last week and is expected to arrive in Australia by air, with plans to fly into Sydney and Melbourne on Tuesday. Multiple outlets also note that the group includes children who are Australian nationals—either born in Syria or Iraq after parents travelled to the so-called “caliphate,” or children who left Australia more than a decade ago.
Several sources say Australia’s interior minister, Tony Burke, states the government is not providing assistance for the group’s return and that any individuals who committed crimes will face the “full force of the law.” Some outlets add that police are expected to charge people linked to IS upon arrival, and that the return follows earlier developments in which three women were arrested weeks before the planned arrivals.
