ISIS brides will cost $2million EACH to monitor if they return to Australia - and the extraordinary lengths authorities will have to take every day

By NICHOLAS COMINO, POLITICAL REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 05:03, 3 May 2026 | Updated: 05:18, 3 May 2026 The ISIS brides attempting to return to Australia from Syria could cost around $2million each to monitor if they make it back home. This massive cost is predicted for high-risk individuals who may require 24-hour surveillance by two police or security personnel.  At least two women are expected to be arrested on arrival and charged with entering a declared terrorist area if they return. Authorities warn that any prosecutions or court‑ordered supervision would add further costs to the public purse.  Just days ago, four women and nine children left the Al‑Roj detention camp in northeast Syria and travelled toward Damascus, intending to board flights to Australia. Each member of the group was carrying a single-entry passport, but all were turned back before they reached the airport after the Albanese government insisted it would not receive them.  Estimated monitoring costs are based on similar cases in NSW, where convicted extremists were placed on Extended Supervision Orders by the Supreme Court after judges found they posed an 'unacceptable risk' to public safety.  Those orders can impose electronic ankle monitoring, curfews, unannounced home visits, strict movement controls, drug and alcohol testing, and constant scrutiny of phones and laptops - measures requiring significant manpower and funding.  The ISIS brides attempting to return to Australia from Syria could cost around $2million each to monitor if they make it back home Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has written to the Prime Minister demanding clarity on whether the women will be detained and prosecuted if they reach Australia, The Sunday Telegraph reported. 'Australians expect these individuals will be charged with terrorism offences where evidence exists and not released into the community under uncertain monitoring arrangements,' he wrote.  'Australians deserve to know what 'the full force of the law' actually means.' Home Affairs and Immigration Shadow Minister Jonno Duniam told Daily Mail the group's danger to Australia's national security and community safety 'cannot be underestimated'. 'The Coalition has warned that this group is dangerous and that the chances for radicalisation for the children of the ISIS Brides should be taken seriously,' Duniam said. 'The Albanese Government must be transparent with Australians on their plans for their return. The Coalition does not want to see ISIS Brides on our shores in the first place. 'These are people that chose to ditch Australia and our values to go to Syria to support a terrorist death cult.' Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government's position remains unchanged, stressing Australia is not repatriating the women.  Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has written to the Prime Minister demanding clarity on whether the women will be detained and prosecuted if they reach Australia 'Our position is completely unchanged,' Burke said on Thursday. 'We will not repatriate, and we will not assist these individuals.' Burke said any attempt to return would occur without government assistance, adding that law enforcement would deal with any alleged offences. 'Whether they choose to try to come back to Australia on their own is a matter for them,' he said.  'Anyone who has broken the law will face the full force of the law.' He said the situation was complex and cautioned against assuming every individual would face identical legal outcomes. 'This is not a cohesive group, so we shouldn't expect that every individual will have the same legal challenges,' Burke said.  'I will not interfere with anything operationally. That is a matter for the Australian Federal Police.' Burke suggested the possibility of arrest may be influencing decisions to return. Uncertainty remains over whether the group can return at all. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.