Anthony Albanese: ‘Nothing but contempt’ for ISIS brides as Opposition demand government ban families’ return

Anthony Albanese has declared “nothing but contempt” for the group of ISIS brides seeking to return home from a Syrian camp with their children, following confirmation his Government has issued passports to them in Syria.

Opposition leader Angus Taylor has demanded Labor must “shut the door” on the 11 Australian families, suggesting Government ministers should be given the power to unilaterally refuse travel documents to citizens considered a security risk.

But the Prime Minister blamed the mothers, saying: “We have a firm position, which is that the mothers in this case who made this decision to travel overseas against Australia’s national interest are the responsible ones who’ve put their children in this position.

“We can’t bring the children back without their mothers. It is their mothers that have put them in this position.”

When pushed on why the cohort had been issued with travel documents, Mr Albanese insisted “Australian citizens have rights” but reaffirmed that the Government was not providing any repatriation support.

“We followed the law, and we followed the advice of the authorities,” he said. “The Government is providing no support for the repatriation of these people — or any support whatsoever. I have nothing but contempt for these people.”

Earlier, the Home Affairs Minister had confirmed the group was provided with Australian passports but also revealed that one of the women in the group had been slapped with a temporary exclusion order, preventing her from entering the country.

Speaking on the Gold Coast, Mr Taylor said the so-called ISIS brides were sympathetic to a “heinous ideology” and called on Labor to tighten temporary exclusion legislation which the previous Coalition government introduced under Scott Morrison.

“These are ISIS members and supporters,” he said. “It is an organisation which is banned in this country. It’s been responsible for heinous attacks around the world, and yet this Government is not taking the measures it needs to shut the door.”

Asked whether the Foreign Minister should have the power to independently refuse passports without advice from authorities, the Opposition leader responded “absolutely”.

“The Government should be doing everything it can to stop them from coming back,” he said. “And if we need to work with the Government to pass legislation, to tighten legislation to make sure that they can’t come back, we will.

“These people left Australia. They left Australia, to support a terrorist organisation that has heinous views, a heinous ideology, completely at odds with what we believe with our way of life. And they shouldn’t be coming back.”

However, Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi insisted the group should be returned home to Australia declaring the Government’s decision not to help the stranded families as “pretty disgraceful”.

Senator Faruqi said any issues related to the women and children should be dealt with in the Australian legal system.

“These are Australian citizens. They need to be brought back and the concerns should be dealt with in Australia,” she told the ABC.

“These people have been left to languish in refugee camps for too long. If there are concerns, they need to be brought back and these are people Australia can’t just turn into stateless people.”

Meanwhile, the Australian Federal Police has confirmed at least 10 foreign terrorist fighters have been charged on their return home from Syria and Iraq, as they seek to assure the public that any repatriated ISIS brides will face legal consequences.

Since 2013 around 80 people associated with ISIS have come home to Australia, with nine male returnees, and one female, charged with offences under the Criminal Code or Foreign Incursion and Recruitment Act.

“The AFP and State and Territory law enforcement partners are aware of community concerns regarding the potential return of Australian women and children from IDP (internally displaced people) camps in the Middle East,” an AFP spokeswoman said.

“As with previous Australians who have returned, including women and children, where Australians returning to Australia have allegedly breached Australian law, they will be — where appropriate and on a case-by-case basis — subject to law enforcement action.

“The safety of Australia’s national interests remain the overriding priority.”