Federal Government accused of playing politics over ISIS bride repatriations

Communities are calling for clarity on how ISIS brides will be reintegrated into Western Sydney as the federal government is accused of playing politics with national security over the repatriations.

A group of more than 20 community organisations has written to Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil calling on the government to hold a forum to give refugees clarity about how ISIS brides will be reintegrated into Western Sydney.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal that independent Fowler MP Dai Le sent the letter to Ms O’Neil on Thursday adding her own note to the Minister.

“Community leaders have raised concerns with my office regarding the lack of consultation by the Federal Government, and wish to have more clarity around the reintegration program,” Ms Le said in the letter.

“We are requesting that the government to hold a forum for our refugee community, so they can gain more of an understanding of the plans to help ease their concerns,” she said.

“I have attached a letter which outlines this request, as well as the list of signatory organisations who wish to participate.”

Ms Le asked Ms O’Neil for the organisations to be kept confidential, “as many of these community groups have families who fought against ISIS in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, or still reside in ISIS-controlled areas”.

Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton and Senator Marise Payne met with concerned western Sydney community leaders on Thursday.

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

The Telegraph has confirmed that 24 community groups signed the correspondence attached to Ms Le’s letter.

It’s understood that the organisations told Ms O’Neil that they are grateful to have been able to escape the horrors of ISIS but are concerned about the lack of information about efforts to repatriate women and children linked with the terror group.

“We are considering the request,” a spokesman for Ms O’Neil told the Telegraph.

It comes as Peter Dutton accused the federal government of playing politics with national security over the repatriations.

Mr Dutton criticised the government for not being transparent about the security arrangements in place.

He met with Ms Le, Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone, and community leaders in Western Sydney on Thursday.

Refugees want clarity about how ISIS brides will be reintegrated into Western Sydney. Picture: Sixty Minutes

“I think many of the community leaders have really had their grief compounded, because they weren’t consulted before the decision was taken by this government to bring people back,” he said.

Mr Dutton, a former Home Affairs Minister, said the previous government decided that it “wouldn’t” repatriate ISIS brides stranded in Syria.

“I made a decision based on the intelligence that I received at the time: these women shouldn’t come back to Australia,” he said.

“We made the decision that we wouldn’t do it and I don’t believe that this government should do it either.”

Cumberland Council voted on Wednesday to write to the Commonwealth and seek to express its concerns, and seek further detail about the repatriation plan.

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Originally published as Federal Government accused of playing politics over ISIS bride repatriations