A father and grandfather of an Australian woman and three children in a Syrian detention camp says he's excited at the prospect of having them returned.
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The Labor government is set to implement a rescue plan to bring 16 women and 42 children who are families of Islamic State members.
They have been held in al-Roj detention camp in northeast Syria near the Iraqi border for three-and-a-half years following the fall of Islamic State in March 2019.
A secret ASIO mission into Syria has cleared the way for the families to be repatriated to Australia, The Australian reported on Monday.
Kamalle Dabboussy, who lives in Sydney, says he's not been officially notified of the mission but would cooperate with all levels of government to bring his family home.
"It's every parent's wish to ensure their children are safe," he said.
Muslim community leader Dr Jamal Rifi said he believed "100 per cent" that Australia would be safe with the women returning home.
He told Sky News the nation's security agencies could also adequately monitor the women and children if there were security concerns.
Save the Children Australia chief executive Mat Tinkler said the repatriation "can't come soon enough".
"Children have died in these camps," he said.
"Australian children are poorly nourished, suffering from untreated shrapnel wounds and the situation is impacting their mental health."
But the opposition is demanding more details.
Former home affairs minister Karen Andrews says she didn't give the green light when she was in government due to the risk to Australia officials and radicalisation concerns.
Ms Andrews said advice to her stated the women posed a security risk after travelling willingly and being "complicit, generally, in the role they were expected to play ... to support ISIS and foreign fighters".
Ms Andrews said bringing them back "posed an unnecessary risk and enormous cost".
"I've seen nothing to alter my view," the opposition home affairs spokesperson told the ABC.
But federal frontbencher Tanya Plibersek disputed the account.
"Some of the women, the mothers, were taken there as little more than children themselves and married off to (Islamic State) fighters," she told the Seven Network.
"Some of them were tricked, some of them were forced to go there."
Ms Plibersek said there would be an expectation security organisations would stay in contact and monitor those repatriated.
But Ms Andrews said control orders giving Australian authorities surveillance powers were not easy to get and maintain.
Opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan said anyone who had broken the law, such as going to declared zones where the Australian government had banned visits, should face prosecution.
A spokesman for Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil told the ABC any decision on repatriation is informed by national security advice and "it would not be appropriate to comment further".
Australian Associated Press
