Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of all answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by opposition senators today.

In particular, I would like to address the issue of the report that appeared earlier today in the Australian that reported the government is in the process of considering assisting the repatriation of so-called ISIS brides. I listened very carefully to the answers from Senator Wong, representing the Prime Minister, on this issue, and they raised considerable questions in my mind as to whether or not something has already occurred in terms of the government facilitating the return of the so-called ISIS brides.

I want to quote from the article that appeared in the Australian today. It said:

Senior federal government officials are assisting the operation quietly in the background and intend to work with families of those in the camps and not-for-profit organisations to issue travel documents and obtain approvals from Kurdish-led authorities and neighbouring countries.

That quote is quite definitive in the sense of saying that there is something occurring in the background with respect to that cohort of Australian citizens who left Australia and went over to affiliate, to join with ISIS. I'm going to make a few remarks about ISIS in a moment.

The quote raises material questions in relation to whether something is occurring. And I noted, in my question, that the home affairs minister, or the spokesperson for the home affairs minister, said that the government is not providing assistance to this cohort. I also note that, as I understand it, the Prime Minister, in question time in the other place, said the report was not accurate. But I specifically asked Senator Wong whether any assistance, support or taxpayer funds had been used to assist the repatriation of the ISIS brides remaining in Syria, Iraq—the area with the control of Kurdish led authorities—since the last cohort came to Australia in October, I think it was, but certainly in 2022. The senator had to take that on notice, which begs the question, in my mind, as to whether something has actually occurred up to this point in time.

I think the Australian people have a right to know, because what we're talking about here is ISIS. And let me quote from the United Nations Human Rights Council document of 15 June 2016 in relation to ISIS:

ISIS has sought to erase the Yazidis through killings; sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and inhuman and degrading treatment and forcible transfer causing serious bodily and mental harm; the infliction of conditions of life that bring about a slow death …

And it goes on. So, we're talking about one of the most evil organisations that has ever been on the face of the earth, and we're talking about a cohort of people who left the safety of Australia, as Australian citizens, to join what was essentially a death cult. So, any proposal for people to come back to Australia, having wilfully abandoned Australia to go and join ISIS, is a question that needs to be raised in this place. I'll be very interested to hear what further information can be provided by Senator Wong in relation to what has happened between October 2022, when the last cohort arrived in Australia, and today's date.

Bear in mind that Australia has provided refuge to some of those Yazidis who came to Australia fleeing that sexual slavery, fleeing that trauma. We actually provided refuge to that wonderful community, many of whom are still dealing with the trauma they suffered and have lost loved ones. Some of them don't even know where their loved ones are. So, it would be despicable for people—adults—who knowingly left Australia, went overseas to join ISIS, to be provided with an opportunity to come back to Australia. I think we really need to know the answers in relation to this important question.