Islamic State-linked cohort to face arrest on return

But members of the group face the prospect of being arrested upon their arrival.

It's expected the group will arrive in Australia on separate flights into Melbourne and Sydney on Thursday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government was not assisting in any way.

"These are people who've made what is a horrific choice to join a dangerous terrorist organisation and to place their children in an extraordinary situation," he told reporters in Sydney on Wednesday.

"Any members of this cohort who have committed crimes can expect to face the full force of the law, and that will occur."

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said officials were alerted about the group's return when they left the refugee camp.

He said there were limits on how citizens could be blocked from returning to Australia.

"I have received advice in one instance so far of (a temporary exclusion) threshold having been met, and when I received that advice, I acted immediately at that exclusion order," he said.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said members of the group faced the prospect of being arrested on their return, but did not say how many.

"Some individuals will be arrested and charged. Some will face continued investigations when they arrive in Australia," she told reporters in Canberra.

"Children who return in the cohort will be asked to undergo community integration programs, therapeutic support and countering violent extremist programs."

It was revealed in late April the group of 13 had left the al-Roj camp to travel to the Syrian capital Damascus with plans to board a flight to Australia.

They were yet to depart at that point and it was unclear if they had secured plane tickets to return.

Mr Burke said Australian intelligence agencies had been preparing for a potential return of the group since 2014 and plans were in place to monitor them.

"The priority of the government, as always, is the safety of the Australian community," he said.

A group of about 30 women and children has been trying to return home to Australia from Syria for years after travelling to the Middle East with men who sought to fight for Islamic State before the caliphate was toppled in 2019.

The larger cohort recently attempted to leave the al-Roj camp for Damascus to travel to Australia but were turned around by local authorities and forced to return.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said the government needed to provide clarity on what arrangements were once the IS-linked group come back to Australia.

"The question now is, what's going to happen when these people arrive? What's it going to cost Australian taxpayers?" he told reporters in Melbourne.

"It's time for the government to be upfront and clear with the Australian people about how this is going to work."

The government needed to revoke travel documents, Opposition home affairs spokesman Jonathon Duniam said.

"These are women who chose to go to Syria, to a designated terror hot spot declared under law as a crime,'' he said.

"That is something that should not be taken lightly."