‘Some’ Returning ISIS Wives, Children to Be Arrested Upon Australia Return

‘Some individuals will be arrested and charged,’ says the Australian Federal Police chief.

Australian families affiliated with ISIS walk beside a van with their belongings for departure at the Roj camp in al Malikiyah, Syria, on Feb. 15, 2026. Amjad Kurdo/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says the government did not assist a cohort of ISIS “brides” and their children from returning to Australia despite their now imminent return.

The news comes just days after Health Minister Mark Butler told reporters the Australian government was not engaging with the women, who hold Australian citizenship but left to support ISIS fighters in Syria and Iraq.