Received

The Opposition is asking questions over federal government plans to bring home dozens of Australian women and children from detention camps in Syria.

The Labor government is set to implement a rescue plan to bring 16 women and 42 children who are families of Islamic State members and have been held in al-Roj detention camp in northeast Syria near the Iraqi border.

A secret ASIO mission into Syria has cleared the way for the families to be repatriated to Australia, The Australian reported on Monday.

They have been held in detention for three and a half years following the fall of Islamic State in March 2019.

Some of the women say they were taken to the Middle East against their will.

Opposition home affairs spokeswoman Karen Andrews says she didn't give the green light when she was the relevant minister in government due to the risk of sending Australia officials over and radicalisation concerns.

"There was always a very strong view women, in particular, went there by choice ... and they were complicit, generally, in the role they were expected to play ... to support ISIS and foreign fighters," she told the ABC.

Ms Andrews said bringing them back "posed an unnecessary risk and enormous cost" to have these people in the community.

"I've seen nothing to alter my view."

Federal frontbencher Tanya Plibersek said it was important the women and children receive counselling upon their arrival.

"We have about 40 Australian kids living in one of the most dangerous places on earth in a refugee camp," she told the Seven Network.

"Some of the women, the mothers, were taken there as little more than children themselves and married off to (Islamic State) fighters. Some of them were tricked, some of them were forced to go there."

The Labor minister said there would be an expectation security organisations would stay in contact and monitor those repatriated.

But Ms Andrews said control orders giving Australian authorities surveillance powers were not easy to get and maintain.

Her colleague and Opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan said it appeared the security situation had changed to allow for the repatriation after the reported mission.

But he added that anyone who had broken the law, such as going to declared zones, where the Australian government had banned visits, should face prosecution.

"If they have broken the law, yes they should be charged," he told Sky News.

Ms Andrews said she expected some would be charged and imprisoned upon their return to Australia.

Independent senator Jacqui Lambie questioned why the report had come out in the newspaper before the mission was complete.

"This is actually quite surprising by ASIO to say that they're going to do this when they haven't done it yet," she told the Nine Network.

She also questioned why the government hadn't been able to bring over Afghan interpreters facing prosecution by the Taliban for helping allied forces during the war.

"They seem to have given up on (them)," she said.

In 2019, then Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton played down the prospect of repatriation, saying some of the women had the potential "to come back here and cause a mass casualty event".

A spokesman for Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said any decision on repatriation is informed by national security advice so "it would not be appropriate to comment further", the ABC quoted a spokesperson for the minister as saying.

Save the Children Australia chief executive Matt Tinkler has been campaigning for the women and children to be repatriated, and told the ABC it would be "welcome news'' if they were returned.

"These are innocent children and families that have been in these camps for more than 3.5 years now," he said.

"Children have died in these camps over the last few years. I saw firsthand for myself that some of the Australian children are severely malnourished and have suffered significant mental harm.

"Their repatriation can't come soon enough."

© AAP 2022

The federal government is set to implement a rescue plan to bring dozens of Australian women and children back from detention camps in Syria.

The 16 women and 42 children are families of Islamic State members and have been held in al-Roj detention camp in northeast Syria near the Iraqi border.

A secret ASIO mission into Syria has cleared the way for the families to be repatriated to Australia, The Australian reported on Monday.

They have been held in detention for three and a half years following the fall of Islamic State in March 2019.

Some of the women say they were taken to the Middle East against their will.

Federal frontbencher Tanya Plibersek said it was important the repatriated children receive the support they need upon their arrival.

"We have about 40 Australian kids living in one of the most dangerous places on earth in a refugee camp," she told the Seven Network.

"Some of the women, the mothers, were taken there as little more than children themselves and married off to (Islamic State) fighters. Some of them were tricked, some of them were forced to go there.

"When they come back to Australia, it's going to be very important that the children, in particular, receive counselling."

The Labor minister said there would be an expectation that security organisations would stay in contact and monitor those repatriated.

The Opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan said it appeared the security situation had changed to allow for the repatriation after the reported mission.

But he added that anyone who had broken the law, such as going to declared zones, to which the Australian government had banned visits, should face prosecution.

"If they knowingly went to a declared area then they've broken the law," he told Sky News.

"If they have broken the law, yes they should be charged."

Mr Tehan called on the government to continually monitor the women and children and ensure no one has been radicalised.

"It's too early at this stage to tell whether the right procedures, measures, laws are going to be abided by," he said.

"Keeping Australians safe has to be the number one priority of any government."

Nationals MP and former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce said the government needed "to come down like a ton of bricks on any person who decides they want to engage in a foreign fight".

He added that it would cost "an awful lot of money per person per year" following the repatriation of the women and children.

Independent senator Jacqui Lambie questioned why the report had come out in the newspaper before the mission was complete.

"This is actually quite surprising by ASIO to say that they're going to do this when they haven't done it yet," she told the Nine Network.

She also questioned why the government hadn't been able to bring over Afghan interpreters facing prosecution by the Taliban for helping allied forces during the war.

"They seem to have given up on (them)," she said.

In 2019, then Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton played down the prospect of repatriation, saying some of the women had the potential "to come back here and cause a mass casualty event".

"They've gone willingly and or they are as hardcore as some of the male terrorists they've seen in Syria and Iraq," he told 2GB in October 2019.

The new Labor government, however, is working to return the women and children, with a spokesman for Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil saying any decision on repatriation is informed by national security advice, the ABC reported on Monday.

"Given the sensitive nature of the matters involved, it would not be appropriate to comment further," the spokesman said.

Save the Children Australia chief executive Matt Tinkler has been campaigning for the women and children to be repatriated, and told the ABC it would be "welcome news'' if they were returned.

© AAP 2022

Penrith have sealed their status as one of the NRL's greatest ever teams, going back-to-back with a crushing 28-12 grand final win over Parramatta.

In one of the most one-sided deciders this century, Penrith blew the Eels off the park in a near-perfect first half before Parramatta's only two tries came in the final four minutes.

Dylan Edwards was a deserving Clive Churchill Medallist, making 228 metres on the back of his kick returns, producing the cover tackle of the night on Bailey Simonsson in the second half and setting up two tries in the win.

Brian To'o also scored a double, Moses Leota put on several big hits and through it all Nathan Cleary's kicking game was again influential.

In comparison Mitch Moses was unable to get an attacking kick away until the 40th minute, as their hopes of ending the 36-year drought were quickly extinguished.

It was enough to seal Penrith the fourth title in their history, as they became only the second team to defend their crown in the NRL era.

"That first half, it was a dream come true," Panthers head coach Ivan Cleary said.

"Considering everything on the line ... I sat back and watched the boys go to work.

"We put what we've learned from the last few years to good use and I'm incredibly blessed to be their coach."

The scary question now is when will the Panthers' dominance stop?

The club won every grade down to under-18s this season, and while they lose Viliame Kikau and Api Koroisau next year they appear set for a dynasty of success.

In the past three years alone they have won 67 of 78 matches, making their run the most dominant since Parramatta claimed three straight titles in the early 1980s.

And after 15 minutes on Sunday night, it became evidently clear that there would be no return to the glory days for the Eels.

After a tight opening, Edwards produced his first big moment when Cleary put him into space and the fullback found Stephen Crichton trailing back inside him.

Jarome Luai was also back to his best, making the most of Penrith's momentum to help put To'o over for their second try.

Again, it was off the back of a big Edwards kick return as he regularly put the Panthers on the front foot.

At that point Liam Martin looked as if he could score every time he touched the ball on the right and Kikau was busting through tackles for fun on the left.

Cleary also had the ball on a string as he was continually given good ball as Penrith zeroed in on Parramatta's ball-carriers.

The halfback's finest play came when he spotted Clint Gutherson in the line and grubber-kicked for Scott Sorensen to make it 18-0 before halftime.

The Eels' only moment of fury came when Mitch Moses was ruled to have initiated contact on Kikau in the lead up to To'o's second try after the break.

But by then the game was done.

Parramatta were comprehensively beaten in the middle, gave away an obstruction on their first attacking raid before their two late tries came through Gutherson and Jake Arthur.

The points however would have done little to silence Penrith's party.

It began when Edwards put Crichton over, ramped up when he chased down Simonsson and put him into touch to deny the winger and then went into overdrive when he sent Charlie Staines over on the next set.

"We just got beat by a better team," Eels coach Brad Arthur said.

"It's a tough road to get here, and maybe the tough road took its toll on us.

"It's a big achievement. But we're not going to put the cue in the rack and be content with that."

© AAP 2022