Footage has emerged showing families with connections to ISIS arriving at Melbourne Airport nearly two weeks after departing the Al Roj refugee camp in Syria.

A group of over a dozen women and children associated with former ISIS militants has started to arrive in Australia, following their exit from a Syrian refugee camp almost two weeks ago.

Three women were taken into custody upon landing in Melbourne and Sydney after traveling from Doha this evening.

This group had spent several years in the Al Roj camp located in northeastern Syria.

The three women, identified as having ties to ISIS, were arrested after returning to Australia from flights originating in Doha.

This cohort, which is connected to the dismantled Islamic State, returned to Sydney and Melbourne more than six years after their initial relocation to refugee camps in Syria.

One subset of the group arrived at Melbourne Airport shortly before 5:30 PM, while another woman and her child touched down in Sydney on a separate flight about 15 minutes later.

In Melbourne, two women aged 53 and 31 were detained, while a 32-year-old woman was apprehended in Sydney by the New South Wales Joint Counter Terrorism Team.

Politicians have referred to these women as “ISIS brides,” a term used for those who traveled to Syria during the height of ISIS’s influence and subsequently became stranded there after the group’s territorial claims were dismantled in 2019.

Thousands of foreign nationals linked to suspected or deceased ISIS members have been held in refugee camps in northeastern Syria, with many still remaining there.

On April 24, thirteen Australians, including four women and nine children, departed from the Al Roj camp and are believed to have resided in Damascus before securing their flights back to Australia this week.

This situation has posed a significant political dilemma for the federal government, which has repeatedly condemned the actions of this group and indicated that they would not receive assistance from Australia.

Yesterday, federal police confirmed that some of the returning women would face arrest and charges upon their arrival in Australia.

According to AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett, potential charges could include “terrorism offenses, such as entering or remaining in declared areas, and crimes against humanity offenses like engaging in slave trading.”

Investigations into certain individuals will also persist following their return to Australia, Barrett noted.

It has been reported that 21 Australians remain in the Al Roj camp in northeastern Syria.

One passenger traveling on the same flight as the returning women stated he was unaware of their presence until he noticed media coverage upon arrival. However, he expressed no concern regarding their return to Australia.

“In Lebanon, we often see similar situations,” he remarked. “The narrative surrounding them is different from the reality. Everyone has their own perspective.”

Families have characterized their experiences in Syria as “hell.”

The extent of the federal government’s role in this matter has come under scrutiny, especially after the Syrian government claimed it had prevented the group from reaching Damascus due to Australia’s refusal to accept them.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke clarified yesterday that the Australian government was not involved in the Syrian government’s decisions.

A Syrian official, however, indicated to ABC that the Australian government was the decisive factor in determining the group’s ability to leave Syria.

In response, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade stated that it had never requested the Syrian government to delay the group’s return. Other federal agencies were also contacted for further comment.

For months, Australian officials have maintained that while they would not assist the ISIS-linked families in returning home, they lacked the authority to prevent their arrival.

All women and children involved are Australian citizens and possess Australian passports.

One woman believed to still be in the Al Roj camp is subject to a Temporary Exclusion Order, which restricts her travel to Australia for up to two years.

While at the airport in Doha before their flight to Melbourne, some women expressed excitement about returning home, with one stating, “We just want our children to be safe. It was like hell in Syria for them.”

Aftab Malik, Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, remarked that the return of these women places the broader Muslim community in a “deeply challenging position.” He urged the public not to unfairly target Muslim Australians.

“Let the legal processes unfold fully and fairly as these families arrive, with respect for due process and human rights,” he emphasized. “Our compassion should focus on the vulnerable children born into unimaginable circumstances, recognizing their innocence and the long-term effects on their well-being.”

A group of women known as the ‘ISIS brides’ and their children are making their way to Australia after enduring years in a Syrian refugee camp.