Federal government won’t reveal cost of bringing ISIS brides to Australia

The first cohort of ISIS brides and children has arrived in Sydney, but NSW is still in the dark about exactly who will pay to keep them here — or how much it will cost.

The federal government has refused to reveal how much taxpayers are paying to provide security to ISIS brides repatriated to Sydney, as it was revealed NSW Police Minister Paul Toole has been blindsided in the operation.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was also forced to deny he chose to bring back only families returning to NSW to avoid a pre-election issue for Victoria’s Labor Premier Daniel Andrews.

The NSW government has been battling for assurances from Canberra about the safety and security risks linked to the repatriation, however on Sunday a federal spokesman brushed this off, saying the Commonwealth was just following “national security advice”.

The Daily Telegraph has asked the state and federal governments about the security arrangements for the women, who lived in the Islamic State caliphate and are Australians citizens, but has not received a response.

Mr Perrottet was not able to detail local security arrangements in relation to the families, saying it was a “matter for the Commonwealth government”.

Australian women at the Al-Hawl camp in northeast Syria. Picture: Supplied

“Whatever support the NSW government can assist with, we will,” he said.

“That is being run by the Commonwealth government … we will work through those matters with the Commonwealth government.”

Mr Toole said he has pushed NSW police to ask questions of the Australian Federal Police, which oversaw the first cohort of ISIS wives and children arriving in Sydney on Saturday, and called on the Commonwealth to “come clean” on the details.

“The Commonwealth made this decision to repatriate these women and children from Syria to NSW,” Mr Toole said.

Dominic Perrottet has asked Anthony Albanese’s government for detail about returning ISIS brides. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dylan Coker

“This is not a NSW government decision, however we want the Commonwealth to assure the community that safety is the highest priority.

“I have been seeking assurances from the Commonwealth government that they (the women) pose no risk to the safety of the community. They should come clean about what resources they have provided to make sure this is the case.

“I’ve got police continually asking questions of the Commonwealth government about community safety.”

Even as Mr Perrottet and Mr Albanese were at press conferences in the same location on Saturday, Mr Toole said the NSW government had not received assurances on the safety risk.

Mr Albanese shut down claims the government had only brought back NSW residents in the first cohort to protect Mr Andrews from scrutiny before next month’s state election.

“There are no political decisions here … the people who were prioritised were on the basis of advice from the national security agency,” the Prime Minister told 7 News.

A federal government spokesman said they could not reveal the cost of security for the women and children because it was an “operational matter.”

AFP uniformed officers at Sydney Airport where the first of four Islamic State wives and 13 children arrived on a flight from Dubai. Picture: Julian Andrews

“These are Australian citizens, they are entitled to return to Australia, and we took into account the national security advice, which we will continue to do,” the said.

The Daily Telegraph understands about 16 women and 42 children will be returned in at least three cohorts.

Four women and their 13 children were the first to arrive in Sydney on Saturday after leaving detention camps in Northern Syria where they had been detained for almost four years.

Their arrival came as it emerged the federal governement did not provide the NSW government assurances that the wives did not pose a security threat or safety risk to the people of NSW.

While the Commonwealth holds legal responsibility for determining who is repatriated - and had done so following security assessments undertaken by Commonwealth intelligence and law enforcement agencies - the NSW government had asked for assurances as to what the security or safety risks might be to NSW residents.

Despite not having received a reply, the NSW government has agreed to help the families agencies such as police, health, education, communities and justice will work with the Commonwealth to provide services to the families.

Heavily armed AFP uniformed officers at Sydney Airport today. Picture: Julian Andrews

A NSW Government spokesman said the decision to repatriate the four women had been undertaken solely by the federal government.

Meanwhile, the brides who returned on Saturday issued an apology “for the trouble and hurt we have caused”.

“We are deeply thankful to be back home in Australia with our children,” the women said in a joint statement.“We appreciate the complexity and significant work it has taken from many people including the Australian government, to bring us home and we could not be more relieved to know our children are now safe.

“We are so thankful to be reunited with our families and are excited to have the opportunity to rebuild our lives as a part of the Australian community.

“We want to express our regret for the trouble and hurt we have caused, especially to our families.”

Some of the families of the women have been able to see them for the first time in years, at the “secure location” they are being housed in while they are interviewed by authorities.

Kamalle Dabboussy reunites with his daughter Mariam Dabboussy and her three children when in Syria. Source: ABC

Kamalle Dabboussy’s daughter Mariam left Sydney eight years ago after marrying her childhood sweetheart Kaled Zahab. He visited her once in the north east Syrian detention camp she’d been held in for close to four years.

On Saturday morning, just hours after her flight landed, he was able to hug her and his three young grandchildren close.

“She was a little cheeky, when I walked into the room I looked around and two of the children were sleeping on the couches and she just jumped from behind me and grabbed me,” he said.

“There were hugs and tears and it was a very emotional moment. It was quite overwhelming.”

Mr Dabboussy was adamant his daughter - and the three other women - posed no threat to Australia.

“These women and children aren’t a threat to the community, they’ve been thoroughly assessed and vetted by security agencies and they’ve recommended they come home,” he said.

He said the women knew there was a chance they would face charges upon their return, but maintained they’d been “coerced into Syria”.

“Everything Mariam’s done has been done for the safety of her children and herself,” he said.

He said she would continue to co-operate with authorities, and adhere to any controls put in place.

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Originally published as Federal government won’t reveal cost of bringing ISIS brides to Australia