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April 28, 2026
Shadow defence minister James Paterson has claimed the Albanese government has sought to “gaslight Australians” about the ISIS brides cohort after issuing them passports to return.
On Monday, the Albanese government refused to confirm whether it had begun preparing for the return of the four women and their nine children, with their travel plans booked in.
Following reports the group purchased plane tickets to Australia, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles deflected questions on the issue, saying the government was “not repatriating these people”.
It comes after the government concealed details about how it conducted passport checks for the “ISIS brides” after claiming the women received no assistance.
The government said the information was not sufficiently in the public interest to be released.
Speaking to Sky News on Monday evening, Senator Paterson said the ISIS brides did not “deserve” to return to Australia and demanded the Albanese government explain why they were facilitating their expatriation.
“My view is if you leave a prosperous, safe, harmonious liberal democracy to join an Islamist death cult and listed terrorist organisation, you've effectively repudiated your loyalty to Australia,” he told Sky News host Peta Credlin.
“You don't deserve the assistance of the Australian government with a passport or any other document to re-enter your country in the future, and we know that the Albanese Government has provided travel documents and passports to these people.”
Senator Paterson said there was a power under the Passports Act which allows the government to cancel or refuse a passport.
He added the foreign ministers under former Coalition governments "routinely refused and cancelled passports for ISIS fighters" or suspected fighters.
“That is in addition to other powers including temporary exclusion orders which allows you to lawfully keep someone offshore while they're investigated for possible terrorism offences,” Senator Paterson said.
“Now, only one of those has been used by the Albanese government and as far as we know none of the passports have been refused or cancelled and so they have to explain why they are seeking to facilitate these people returning to our country.”
While Senator Paterson said he had not been briefed on the arrival of the ISIS brides, it was “possible” shadow home affairs minister Jonathon Duniam was.
“Frankly, I have no confidence given the way in which the Albanese government has sought to gaslight Australians about this,” he said.
Senator Paterson said he was not convinced the government was “on top of this problem” and seeking to protect Australians from terrorist sympathisers.
“We know the Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, secretly met with a charity that has sought to encourage these people to return to Australia,” he said.
“In that meeting (he) asked Home Affairs departmental officials to leave so he could have a private conversation with them.
"We also know that one of his closest and most important political supporters, Dr Jamal Rifi, has been an advocate for these people returning to Australia and is seeking to facilitate their return.
“So the Albanese government is hopelessly compromised when it comes to this issue. They cannot put the national interest first because they're much more worried frankly about their political interests.”
In March, it was revealed Sydney GP Dr Jamal Rifi, a close friend of Mr Burke, organised passports for the group after they spent years in detention at al-Roj camp in Syria.
The return of the women has prompted repeated warnings from national security experts and opposition MPs.