Australia allows return of last citizens linked to ISIS from Syria

Australian Interior Minister Tony Burke announced yesterday that he would allow the return of the last Australian woman stranded in Syria due to potential family ties with fighters from the Islamic State (ISIS). Dozens of women and children have already returned to Australia from camps in Syria, where they had been held for years following the collapse of the group. Some of these women had previously left Australia to join their husbands, who had fought in the ranks of the organization. The woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, is the last of more than 30 women and children who have returned to Australia. Burke explained that authorities had prevented her return under a “temporary deportation order,” but that order has now expired, and Australia can no longer legally refuse entry to one of its citizens. The interior minister noted that the woman would face strict security restrictions upon her return, including surveillance and limitations on the use of computers and mobile phones. “There will be a very high level of scrutiny and monitoring; we have reached the maximum legal limits available to us,” Burke said.