The first group of Australian women and children held in a detention camp in north-east Syria since the fall of the Islamic State (IS) group in 2019 has been successfully repatriated.
The four women and 13 children arrived at Sydney International Airport this morning.
Home Secretary Clare O’Neil said the repatriation was informed by national security advice, taking into account “the range of security, community and welfare factors in making the decision to repatriate”.
“The decision to repatriate these women and their children was informed by individual assessments following detailed work by national security agencies,” he said in a statement.
“The New South Wales Government is providing extensive support services to help these women and their children reintegrate alongside law enforcement engagement with these families.”
The group left the Roj detention camp in Syria on Thursday afternoon and made the 30km journey to the Iraqi border before boarding a plane home.
The women and children are families of Islamic State fighters, and many say they were forced or tricked into traveling to Syria.
There are about 40 Australian women and children still in the fields of north-east Syria, who are expected to be repatriated in the coming months.
More to come.