Updated ,first published
THE last female member of the Islamic State terrorist group from Australia who is stuck in a camp in Syria has been granted permission to return to Australia, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has revealed.
Sydney Woman, Hodan Abbyhe was prevented from boarding a plane in Damascus in May under a temporary exclusion order issued by the federal government.
He was later reported missing with his disabled young daughter in a Syrian prison.
Burke said that Abby had officially requested to return to Australia, and the government could no longer prevent her from returning to the country.
“We received final advice yesterday that we can no longer have a condition for his isolation,” Burke told ABC radio on Thursday morning.
Burke said Australia’s intelligence and security agencies were ready for his arrival and his return would include a series of follow-up measures.
“He will have to report where he lives, where he works, where he studies, if he buys a ticket to go anywhere, for mobile communication he cannot use any communication device without giving 24 hours notice,” Burke said.
Government sources said Abby would face an “extensive and invasive investigation”.
ASIO Director General Mike Burgess said his organization was ready for the woman’s return.
“ASIO is not all-seeing and all-knowing, and we don’t want to be, but I can assure your listeners that the full use of the power and authority of my organization will be used when this man returns to the country,” Burgess told ABC radio.
“When there are Australians who have been overseas in places like Syria and Iraq who represent security concerns, we assess them.
“We know the level of risk, and anyone who is considered high or medium risk gets the full attention of my agency.”
This celebrity reported earlier this year that Abby’s nine-year-old daughter has a series of health problems caused by the missiles that have been lodged in her body for most of her life.
Medical records show the child suffers chronic headaches, reduced mobility, developmental challenges and permanent disability if the shrapnel is not removed soon.
Abby left her home in western Sydney with a friend in 2015 and traveled to Sydney when she was 18.
The two told their families that they were going on vacation.
Two rounds of so-called ISIS brides returned to Australia in May, with others charged with crimes against humanity.
Burke also confirmed, following Burgess’s keynote address Wednesday night, that the terrorism alert system was being reviewed to see if it needs to be updated to reflect the reality of today’s national security threats.
“There’s a review that’s happening on that,” Burke said.
“The important thing is to ensure that the Australian people, but also all law enforcement agencies, have access to the best possible information.”
The terror threat level has been set at probable – meaning there is a greater than 50 per cent chance of a terrorist attack on the coast occurring or being planned within the next 12 months – from October 2024.
Burgess said in his annual threat assessment that “I don’t believe the system was designed for the situation we’re facing now”.
“It probably doesn’t tell the full story,” he said.
More to come
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Matthew Knott is the foreign affairs and national security correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect through X, Facebook or email address.
