Subhead:Labor scrambles to control the narrative after Syrian officials claim efforts to return ISIS brides were led by Australia.#
Australians are being told to “trust the process” as four women linked to Islamic State and nine children have been flown back from a Syrian camp, with police preparing to arrest at least two of the women the moment they arrived.
The 13 returnees landed in Sydney and Melbourne today in what Syrian officials have labelled an Australian government-approved repatriation operation. Australians officials via the Department of Foreign affairs have disputed this claim, however this has done little to restore confidence in the Anthony Albanese led Labor government.
#BREAKING: Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) says it has not had any contact with Syrian officials about the return of a group of Australian women and children with links to the Islamic State terrorist group.
That’s despite a Syrian government official…
— ABC News (@abcnews) May 7, 2026
Law enforcement agencies had warned that some of the women faced immediate arrest and potential terrorism-related charges once they landed. Others are still under ongoing Australian Federal Police investigations. The government is simultaneously preparing a different pathway for the nine children. Publicly outlined plans say they will be placed into structured community programs, with integration support, therapeutic services and counter-extremism initiatives aimed at addressing trauma and lowering the risk of radicalisation.
Education Minister Jason Clare has said that if mothers are jailed, other relatives in Australia should take responsibility for the children. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has declined to publicly detail the operational arrangements behind the flights, citing security and legal sensitivities.
