Hanson Claims NSW Prison Being Refurbished for ISIS ‘Brides’

The state and federal governments are working together to refurbish a 50-bed wing at the women’s correctional centre at Windsor, New South Wales (NSW) to house returning ISIS “brides,” according to One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson.

Hanson made the claim in a statement posted to social media on March 4, where she claimed she was approached by concerned NSW corrections staff who had undertaken a new training module to supervise female prisoners considered violent extremists.

“These officers approached my office out of great concern for Australians’ public safety and their own welfare,” she said.

“Their new training coincides with the refurbishment of a 50-bed wing at the women’s correctional centre at Windsor designed to house female terrorists.”

Hanson labelled it a “covert operation at the highest level” between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns.

The Queensland senator said she estimated any women housed at the facility would be “Category 5″ inmates, costing taxpayers around $1,800 a day or $650,000 each per year.

Hanson also queried if other states were working on bringing ISIS brides into their prisons.

“Are other state Labor premiers like Jacinta Allen or Peter Malinauskas collaborating covertly with the Prime Minister to house these women in prison as well? At what cost to the taxpayers of their respective states?” she said in her statement.

The senator then called for ISIS brides to remain in Syria.

“They freely chose to break our laws and travel to the Middle East and join in the depraved barbarity that was the hallmark of the so-called Islamic State ‘caliphate,’” she said. “Australians don’t want them back.”

The term “ISIS brides” refers to Australian women who travelled to Syria or Iraq around 2013-16 during the rise of the terrorist group ISIS.

The women married or supported fighters, with many of those women now living in Middle Eastern detention camps or seeking to return to Australia with their children.

The current cohort seeking return consists of 34 Australians, 23 of whom are children under 18.

A spokesperson for Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) did not respond to questions on whether or not Hanson’s claims were true.

Instead, the department stated that community safety was its top priority.

“Corrective Services NSW takes the threat of radicalisation seriously,” a spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

“CSNSW determines security classifications and placements for inmates to maintain the safety and security of our prisons.

“All correctional officers undergo compulsory training to prevent the risk of radicalisation in the prison system.”

The Epoch Times also contacted the Home Affairs Department for comment.

A Political Hot Topic

NSW Premier Chris Minns said in February he believed about a third of the returning ISIS brides would be housed in NSW.

“I think the number is about a third, but that may change and I don’t have a complete number on that,” he told media.

But uncertainty remained, with the Premier saying he was not sure how many would ultimately end up in NSW or the rest of Australia.

“I’ve got no sympathy for someone who makes the decision to go and join a dangerous ideology like Islamic State,” he said.

“But I am worried about the children … If they were to return to NSW, we would make sure they are safe and educated in an environment that reflects Australian values.”

The Albanese government maintains that Australia is not actively facilitating the return of ISIS brides to Australia, but has also stressed the government has a legal obligation to accommodate their right to return if they have one.

The government does hold the power to issue temporary exclusion orders, but the Opposition has questioned why no exclusion orders have been issued to children of ISIS brides.

Temporary exclusion orders can be placed on individuals from the age of 14.

More Attention on the Children: Opposition

Shadow Home Affairs spokesman Jonno Duniam said more attention should be paid to the children, many of whom were at the older end of the scale.

“This a terribly complex situation … we have to have compassion for the children, but that does not mean we have to sacrifice national security,” he told the ABC.

Duniam put a bill forward in Parliament this week that would have tightened regulations on returning ISIS brides. However, the move was defeated by the Labor government.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has remained critical of repatriating ISIS brides and children.

“Let’s be clear, this is a group that have gone to the Middle East to support ISIS … there is no ambiguity about that. That’s why these people went,” he said.

Prime Minister Albanese told media he was aware of security concerns regarding some of the individuals seeking to return to Australia, but denied they were actively being brought back.

“Look, we’re aware of national security issues,” he said.

“We’ve said that what we aren’t doing is providing repatriation of these people.

“We’ve said that we have compassion for the children involved, but that others who chose to travel to that area have made those decisions in life. And that was a decision that was certainly contrary to not just Australian advice, but contrary to Australia’s national interest.”