THE SQUIZ
Reports say the Albanese Government is planning to bring Aussie women and children back to Australia from detention camps in Syria where they have been since the Islamic State was quashed in 2019. Officials visited the camps earlier this year and verified the identities of more than 20 women and 40 children who are the widows/sisters/children of IS fighters. The move would see Australia join the likes of the US, Germany and France to repatriate citizens caught up in the cluster disaster. And it marks a significant departure from the Morrison Government’s position… It brought back 8 orphans before determining that the risk to rescuers and Aussies at home was too high. At that time, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said he was worried that “some of them have the potential and capacity to come back here and cause a mass casualty event.”

HOW’S IT GONE DOWN?
Well, it depends on who you ask… For the parents of some of the women, it’s “an incredibly exciting prospect”. They say their daughters were tricked into travelling to Syria by husbands who have since died or been jailed. Save the Children Australia boss Mat Tinkler also welcomed the move and rejected claims that repatriation is too dangerous. But the Coalition’s apprehension hasn’t gone away. The Coalition’s Home Affairs spokeswoman Karen Andrews says the mission poses “an unnecessary risk and enormous cost”. And its Immigration spokesman Dan Tehan wants the government to reveal what risk assessments have been done and says the women should face charges for travelling to a place that was banned at the time.

SO THE RESCUE MISSION IS GOING AHEAD?
Nothing’s been officially confirmed, but it looks like Team Albanese is committed. Senior minister Tanya Plibersek says those returning would be closely monitored by national security agencies, and reports say all have volunteered to submit to control orders. Many experts believe it is possible to successfully reintegrate the group even though most are sick, some are injured, and all have been subjected to trauma. Former intelligence analyst Shane Healey says it will be a “long, intensive and individualised process but, done holistically, will have excellent results.” Note: more than 10 Australian men are incarcerated in Syria, but there are no plans to repatriate them. They fought for IS and are considered a much bigger threat than the women.