Australia marked the beginning of a new program to repatriate family members of people who fought for the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) in northern Syria with the arrival of four women and 13 children in Sydney on Saturday.

The group had been held in the notorious al-Roj camp that was built to house family members of IS fighters following the group's downfall.

The move was welcomed by rights groups but came under fire from the conservative Liberal-National opposition bloc.

Minister defends repatriations

"The decision to repatriate these women and their children was informed by individual assessments following detailed work by national security agencies," Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said in a statement.

She responded to claims by the opposition that the repatriated citizens posed a threat to Australia by saying that the government has focused on the safety and security of "all Australians," including those who were stuck in Syria.

She also pointed to similar moves carried out by the US, Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK and Canada.

According to local media, there are reports that some of the women may be charged with terrorism offenses for entering Syria illegally. O'Neil said any allegations of criminal activity would be investigated.

"Any identified offenses may lead to law enforcement action being taken," O'Neil said, adding that the regional government of New South Wales was providing "extensive support services" to assist the group to reintegrate into Australia.

Rights group celebrates move

Human Rights Watch welcomed this "long overdue step" to rescue Australian citizens trapped in harsh conditions.

"For years, the Australian government has abandoned its nationals to horrific conditions in locked camps in northeast Syria," researcher Sophie McNeill said.

"Australia can play a leadership role on counterterrorism through these orderly repatriations of its nationals, most of them children who never chose to live under [IS]."

Kurdish authorities that run the detention camps have frequently called on foreign governments to repatriate their citizens to ease the strain on the camps.

The first such move by Australia was the repatriation of eight children and grandchildren of two dead IS fighters in 2019. The new mission aims to repatriate a total of around 20 women and 40 children.

ab/wd (AFP, Reuters)