ISIS Brides Return to Australia: Government’s Shameful Silence Amid Growing Fears for Public Safety
- Six Australian women, partners of ISIS members, have reportedly returned to the country, sparking outrage and fears for public safety.
- Housing Minister Clare O’Neil accused of covering up the truth, refusing to confirm how many ISIS brides have returned or what measures are in place to keep Australians safe.
- Liberal Senator Michaelia Cash slams the government, saying they’re “treating the Australian people like fools” and demands transparency on the ISIS brides’ return.
Amid growing concerns for public safety, Sunrise host Nat Barr confronted Housing Minister Clare O’Neil over the return of so-called “ISIS brides” to Australia. The heated exchange comes after it was revealed that six Australian women, all partners of members of the terrorist group Islamic State, had reportedly returned to the country after being smuggled out of northern Syria.
In a tense interview on Sunrise, Barr grilled O’Neil on why the government was unable to confirm how many women had fled Syria and returned to Australia. O’Neil maintained that the government had not provided any repatriation assistance to the group, but refused to provide further details.
“Why is the government unable to confirm how many women fled Syria and returned here? It’s been reported in the media,” Barr asked O’Neil. “The government has not supported this group of people back into Australia, and they have been dealt with through the usual way that these matters are dealt with,” O’Neil responded.
Liberal Senator Michaelia Cash joined the debate, taking aim at O’Neil and the government’s lack of transparency. “Instead of providing answers in estimates yesterday, the government provided silence. They’re treating the Australian people like fools,” Cash said. “These are women who left Australia to join what is regarded as probably one of the most disgraceful and barbaric terrorist organisations that has murdered, raped, and killed women, men, and children.”
Cash demanded to know how many ISIS brides were back in Australia, what assessments were done before they arrived, and what monitoring conditions were in place to keep Australians safe. O’Neil accused Cash of making the issue political, claiming that the government had not provided any repatriation assistance to the women.
The clash highlights the growing concerns about the return of ISIS brides and the government’s handling of the situation. As the public demands answers, the government’s silence has only fueled fears about the safety of Australians.