Home Affairs Minister Temporarily Blocks 1 Member of ‘ISIS Bride’ Party From Returning

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has temporarily barred one of the 34 “ISIS brides” and children attempting to return to Australia from north-eastern Syria.

The cohort—34 Australians including 11 women and 23 children—departed the Al Roj camp earlier this week trying to get to Damascus but was forced back after Syrian authorities said the journey was not properly coordinated with officials.

Burke said the temporary exclusion order was issued on the advice of Australian security agencies.

“At this stage, security agencies have not provided advice that other members of the cohort meet the required legal thresholds for temporary exclusion orders,” Burke told The Epoch Times in a statement issued on Feb. 18.

Temporary exclusion orders (TEO), introduced in 2019, allow the home affairs minister to bar Australians aged 14 and over from returning for up to two years if they are assessed as a security risk.

Those subject to a TEO must apply for a return permit before re-entering Australia and can face strict conditions, including mandated travel arrangements and monitoring by authorities.

Labor Cabinet Minister Tim Ayres rejected suggestions the government was unwilling to use the tool.

“The home affairs minister is discharging his responsibilities in a careful way, that’s legally robust, and he’s responding to the security advice. And thus far, I have seen the statement that you’re referring to, thus far one such order has been made. Tony will be diligently working through the issues with the security advice…” he told the ABC.

Opposition figures have urged the government to consider using TEOs to block ISIS brides and children from entering Australia.

“The ISIS brides cohort are a group who have followed or have been forced to relocate to Syria alongside their ISIS fighter husbands,” said Liberal Senator Jonathon Duniam, in a statement on Feb. 17.

“These are people who have been part of a group that want to attack our way of life and are a very serious risk to our society.”

Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson also argued the government had tools available to manage any threat.

“They can make security assessment; they can impose temporary exclusion orders … we need to ensure these adults do not pose a threat to Australia,” she told ABC Radio.