Australian authorities announced on Wednesday that 13 citizens linked to alleged members of the extremist Islamic State (IS) group are set to return home from Syria. The group includes four women and nine children who have been living at the Roj camp in Syria.

According to local media reports, they are expected to arrive at airports in Sydney and Melbourne on Thursday. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated that the group would receive no government assistance.

"They made an appalling, disgraceful decision," Burke told the media, adding that he received an alert when the group's travel booking was made. "The government's complete lack of support for these individuals is a direct reflection of the decisions that they made," he added.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said that some individuals will face arrests and criminal charges upon arrival. Others could remain under investigation, while children will be placed in community reintegration and support programs.

Police said they collected evidence in Syria as they probed whether Australians had committed crimes under Australian law, including traveling to a prohibited area and being involved in the slave trade. Between 2012 and 2016, some Australian women left for Syria to join their husbands who had become members of IS.

Burke noted that there are "very serious limits" on what authorities can do to prevent Australian citizens from re-entering the country. Australian authorities have been preparing for such returns for over a decade. The minister said law enforcement and intelligence agencies have maintained contingency plans since 2014 to manage people linked to extremist groups.

Source: www.dw.com