Australian ISIS brides set to land in Sydney and Melbourne on Thursday, police preparing for arrests

A group of ISIS-linked Australian women and their children are set to arrive in Sydney and Melbourne on Thursday evening, with police preparing for arrests, airport security operations and ongoing surveillance as the controversial repatriation unfolds.

The cohort of four women and nine children left Syria’s al-Roj detention camp in late April and travelled via Damascus before securing commercial flights back to Australia.

The group were understood to have been living in the camp in northern Syria for several years after travelling to the region as far back as 2014 during the ISIS caliphate.

Who is returning and when

Those expected to arrive include Melbourne grandmother Kawsar Abbas, 54, her two adult daughters, Zahra Ahmed, 33, and Zeinab Ahmed, 31, and their eight children.

In Sydney, former nursing student Janai Safar and her nine-year-old son are also expected to land.

The group is all Australian citizens. Some women are accused of travelling to Syria to support Islamic State fighters, while others have previously claimed they were either misled or followed family members into the conflict zone.

Two flights are expected to land on Thursday night, including Qatar Airways flight QR904 into Melbourne around 5pm and QR908 into Sydney shortly after. Both flights departed Doha on Wednesday night.

Arrests expected on arrival

Authorities have confirmed some of the women will be arrested upon landing, although it is still not clear exactly how many or who will face charges.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the operation had been planned for years and investigations remain ongoing.

“Some individuals will be arrested and charged. I will not flag how many individuals will be arrested or when they will be arrested to protect a number of our investigations,” she said at a press conference on Wednesday.

“Some will face continued investigations when they arrive in Australia.”

Potential charges include entering or remaining in declared terrorist zones, crimes against humanity, and alleged involvement in slave trading, though authorities have indicated bail is likely.

The Herald Sun is reporting that two of the three women arriving in Melbourne are expected to be arrested and face terror-related charges, though they are likely to be granted bail.

A significant police operation will be in place at both Melbourne and Sydney airports as the flights arrive.

NSW Police prepare for arrival

In Sydney, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said officers would be present at the airport on Thursday evening amid expected public interest and protest activity.

“We’ll certainly have a policing presence, as will the AFP, just to make sure there’s no breach of the peace,” he told 2GB.

“Just to make sure that any people that may attend in support or against the people returning to Australia aren’t ruly and behave.”

When asked about children in the cohort if an accompanying adult is arrested, Mr Lanyon said authorities would work closely with relatives and child protection agencies.

“We would work very closely with any relatives of that child, or certainly, if not, the Department of Communities and Justice will work closely to make sure that child is taken care of,” he said.

“It is important we take care of any children who may be present.”

Victoria prepares for arrests and charges

Victorian authorities have confirmed a heavy police presence will also be in place in Melbourne, where multiple arrests are expected.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said officers would monitor the group closely upon arrival.

“We’ll work with AFP … to ensure that we’re across everything, including who (the women) are and where they are,” Mr Bush told the Herald Sun.

“Because our job is to ensure that they are not a threat at any time, (to) any place, to public safety.”

Premier Jacinta Allan said the returning women had aligned themselves with a violent extremist organisation and would face consequences if any laws were broken.

The group had “aligned themselves with a violent extremist organisation” and, if found to have committed offences, would “face its full force,” she said.

Authorities are expecting at least some of the women to be arrested on arrival, with counter-terrorism investigators having spent years gathering evidence linked to alleged offences committed overseas.

Federal Government stance

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has repeatedly said the government did not assist the cohort’s return, despite Syrian officials reportedly suggesting Australian authorities played a role in their departure from the al-Roj camp.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese repeated Mr Burke’s stance that the government hadn’t aided their travels.

“We have not provided any assistance nor were we involved in those actions of the Syrian Government. We’ve provided no assistance for these people. We’re not repatriating them,” he said in Sydney on Wednesday.

ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said the return of the group would not change Australia’s national terrorism threat level, but security agencies would continue monitoring.

Jamal Rifi repatriation controversy

The Nightly last year revealed Sydney doctor Dr Jamal Rifi had flown to the Middle East from Sydney to coordinate an attempt to repatriate the Australians.

The independent advocate has previously attended Labor party events and was photographed celebrating at an election night party with Mr Burke.

Videos from the night showed him dancing and hugging the Minister while donning a red supporter shirt and with Mr Burke’s initials spray-painted on his head.

Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly would not be drawn when asked on Wednesday if Labor would distance itself from Dr Rifi after the saga.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Jonno Duniam last week demanded the Albanese Government immediately decide whether to block or manage the return of the cohort from flying back to Australia.

He reiterated his call on Wednesday and accused the Government of being involved in a “behind-close-doors, nudge-nudge, wink-wink” operation with Dr Rifi to help them return.

“The fact that they’re... perhaps in the air right now coming back to Australia should send a shiver down the spine of every Australian,” Senator Duniam said.

“There’s still 21 ‘ISIS bride’ cohort members in Syria, and of course, they will ultimately come back. You can rest assured that Tony Burke’s chief campaigner, Dr Jamail Rifi, is working on the balance of that crowd coming back to Australia.

“This is not in our national interest. It is not right to have these people return to Australia.”