19 Australian IS-linked women and children fly out of Syria for Australia, two left behind

Late Monday night, a flight carrying 19 Australian women and children with alleged links to Islamic State departed Syria for Australia, a journey that also left two people behind after an exclusion order prevented them from travelling. Two Australians—one man and one woman—had gone to Syria last week to accompany the group home, in what was described as an escorted return rather than a self-directed departure. ^[1]

The pair left in Syria are a woman and her child, and Syria’s interim government in Damascus said it would look after them after they were blocked from boarding. Australia, however, said it would not provide consular assistance to the woman and child who remain in Syria. ^[1]

Further arrivals were also expected to follow quickly. Two more women, accompanied by seven children, were anticipated in Melbourne on May 25, 2026, according to the same reporting. ^[1] By May 26, separate accounts described a larger cohort of seven Australian women and 12 children linked to ISIS as expected to reach Australia, with destinations split between Sydney and Melbourne. ^[2]

By later on May 26, one report said another group of women and children linked to IS was still due to land in Sydney, while another said an airliner carrying seven women and 12 children had already landed in Melbourne, underscoring the fluidity of the operation as different flights arrived or were rescheduled. ^[3]

Australia’s government also said the 19 women and children had booked flights to return from Syria and warned some could face charges on arrival, highlighting that repatriation does not end scrutiny and may instead mark the start of criminal investigations and other legal processes. ^[2]