The four Australian women who have come home from a Syrian detention camp say they are willing to do whatever it takes to keep the community safe.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the women say they regret the trouble they caused by travelling to the Middle Eastern country following the 2014 formation of the so-called Islamic State (IS).
"We are deeply thankful to be back home in Australia with our children," they said
"We want to express our regret for the trouble and hurt we have caused, especially to our families … we are excited to have the opportunity to rebuild our lives as a part of the Australian community."
The women and their 13 children were flown into Sydney International airport from Iraq, after being driven 30 kilometres across the Syrian border. They are now in a secret location.
Federal government and Kurdish sources said those extracted from the Roj camp, where they were living, were:
- Mariam Dabboussy and her three children
- Mariam Raad and her four children
- Shayma Assad and her four children
- Shayma's mother Bassima Assad and her two children
The women who are wives and widows of IS militants are expected to adhere to control orders.
"We are willing to do whatever is asked of us by government authorities to ensure the safety of our families and the Australian community and we will fully cooperate with all Australian law enforcement agencies," the women said.
After an emotional reunion with their families, the women have voiced their hope in taking time to "heal"— many have spent the years since the fall of IS, in 2019, in detention camps.
"Together with our children, we have been through a terrible ordeal over many years. We ask for space, privacy and time to heal and reconnect with our loved ones in Australia," they said.
One of those returned was Western Sydney woman Ms Dabboussy. She was holidaying in Lebanon in 2015 when she was taken to Syria by her IS fighter husband, along with her three children, aged eight, five and four at the time.
Her father Kamalle Dabboussy has been advocating for their repatriation since their arrival in the detention camp.
Mr Dabboussy last saw his daughter on a brief visit to a Syrian camp in 2019 and was "overjoyed" to see her again.
"Ultimately I hope she will come and live with me but that depends on what happens with the processes. The first step, the AFP and law enforcement will speak to them," he said.
"They have been cooperating with authorities from Syria when they were taken to Iraq ... There will be individualised controls, if and when they are put in place, and we will wait to see what that looks like … we know that they could contain things from ankle bracelets to curfews to monitoring."
Earlier, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that national security advice was followed to "ensure that people are kept safe".
Foreign Minister Clare O'Neil said in a statement, the repatriation considered that advice, along with individual assessments, and a "range of security, community and welfare factors".
Shadow minister Karen Andrews said the repatriation was "inexcusable".
"I am concerned about what will be put in place to make sure that these women and children are not in a position that they will cause any risk at all to Australian people," she said.
The NSW government said they will be working with the families to ensure they receive the support they need.
"Agencies and departments, including New South Wales police, health, education, communities and justice will work with the Commonwealth to provide services to these families," a spokesman said.
"New South Wales is a cohesive and resilient society that does not tolerate violent extremism."
Mr Daboussy said his community is already rallying to welcome the women and children.
"I have seen nothing but positive support and positive comments, positive statements to me," he said.
"While I realise there may be some concerns out there, overwhelmingly to me and my family, my friends and neighbours have been nothing but positive."
Fairfield mayor Frank Carbone has been a vocal opponent of the repatriation and said the decision may hurt survivors of IS who now live in Western Sydney.
"You need to understand a lot of these people are traumatised. They left their country because they were persecuted by ISIS and they wanted to come to this country away from ISIS," he said.
"I think that many of them are really concerned about the risks."
According to Save the Children there are more than 30 Australian children still in detention camps.
"We cannot guarantee their safety unless they are here in Australia," CEO Mat Tinkler said.
"It is a fantastic day that we should celebrate, we also need to make sure we remain firmly fixed on the need for those children to also be brought to safety."
