Source : Perth Now news
Fresh warnings have been issued about youth radicalisation after the wives of previous Islamic State fighters arrived back in Australia.
“More people being radicalised, more quickly,” Home Affairs counter-terrorism co-ordinator Brendan Dowling told a federal budget hearing on Wednesday
He said states and territories were likely to need more funding to educate young people who were sympathetic to radical ideals.
Home Affairs does not provide specific funding support in relation to individuals despite a request being made by the NSW government ahead of the return of so-called “ISIS brides” to Australia.
No arrests have so far been made following the arrival of a second group linked to the Islamic State on Tuesday.
The women travelled from a refugee camp in northern Syria for families of killed or detained Islamic State militants. Their devices were seized and inspected on arrival.
AAP understands investigations are continuing.
Police were closely monitoring the group, federal Housing Minister Clare O’Neil said.
“This is not the first time that they (police) have had to do this. This is a recurring problem for the country, and we’ve got ASIO, the Australian Federal Police, and state police agencies working in close partnership to keep the community safe,” she told reporters on Wednesday.
The first group of two women and their children touched down in Melbourne shortly after 4.30pm on Tuesday, having flown with Qatar Airways via Doha. They were met by a sizeable media pack.
A second group of four women and their children arrived at Sydney Airport, where they were taken out a back entrance, avoiding waiting media.
They will have access to assistance from the Department of Communities and Justice, as has been the case with past repatriations.
“NSW has arrangements in place to work with the Commonwealth to safely manage and support families should they return from camps in Syria,” a department spokesperson said.
Ms O’Neil said she was not aware that the Australian government was funding temporary accommodation for the women, but directed questions to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said the federal government had used third parties to hide behind “support” for the women.
“The government’s rolled out the welcome mat to people who have turned their backs on our country and our values,” he told reporters.
The group originally travelled to the Middle East with men who sought to fight for Islamic State before the caliphate was toppled in 2019.
The Australian government has spent more than a decade preparing for their return from the Al-Roj refugee camp in northern Syria.
