Pauline Hanson has ‘real concerns’ over government’s ISIS move

One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson says she has “real concerns” about a major move the government has planned.

One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson has slammed the government’s reported decision to allow a group of Australian women and children with links to Islamic State back into the country.

Four children and 13 women arrived in Sydney after being taken from a detention camp in Syria overnight, the Federal Government confirmed in a statement on Saturday.

They have been stranded in detention ever since the fall of Islamic State in 2019, which was also the last year Australia repatriated people, eight orphans, from Syria.

When asked about the Albanese government’s reported move, Senator Hanson said she had “real concerns” about it.

One Nation senator Pauline Lee Hanson expressed her concerns about the reported move. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“These people fought and supported their husbands in their fight against western civilisations. They hate us with vengeance,“ she told Sky News on Friday.

“Now they’re using our sympathy to actually get back into Australia.

“I have real concerns about it.“

Ms Hanson also said she doesn’t “trust” the group of women and children and thought the money spent repatriating them could go to better use.

“It’s going to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to actually keep a watch on these people,“ Senator Hanson said.

“I believe that if they’re going to continue to dress and act the way that they do, they will be unemployable, and on unemployment benefits for the rest of their lives in this country.

“I just don’t trust them and depending on the age of the children who watched their fathers and stood beside their fathers … that’s all they know … the terrorism, the hatred.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also expressed his doubts over the reported decision.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also had his doubts about the reported decision. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

He said based on his experience as former Defence and Home Affairs Minister and a recent briefing he received from the Director-General of Security, the move was not in Australia’s “best interests”.

“I don’t believe that this is in our country’s best interests. I obviously wish the families well, and I hope that the transition is successful,” he told Sky News on Friday.

“But I do worry about people coming back from a theatre of war, particularly where they’ve been in a circumstance where they’ve been mixing with people who hate our country, hate our way of life; terrorists who have either committed terrorist offences or intend to commit those offences.

“So, the government needs to explain and the Prime Minister needs to stand up today to explain to the Australian public what measures they’ve got in place.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese did not go into great depth when questioned by reporters on Friday and called for information to not be out in public.

“We will continue to act on national security advice, which is what we have done up to this point and what the former government did as well,” he said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was tight lipped about his government’s reported decision. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

“So we will take that national security advice and we will always act in a way that keeps Australians safe and that is our objective and that is what we‘ll do.

“I was just asked previously if I am concerned about information being out there while there are ongoing issues and I don‘t intend to add to them.

“And I’d say to my Parliamentary colleagues who are aware of the national security implications here of information being in the public arena that the national security agencies would prefer to remain out of the public domain at this point in time, I don’t intend to add to it.”

He did not comment on whether the women would be charged under terrorist laws.

Mr Albanese also pointed out the previous government had brought back children from Syria in 2019.

Originally published as Pauline Hanson has ‘real concerns’ over government’s ISIS move