AL-ROJ CAMP — Four Australian women and nine of their children and grandchildren left al-Roj camp in north-east Syria last month and are due to fly to Australia on flights from Doha on Thursday. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed none of the 13 Australian passport holders are subject to exclusion orders.

The Australian government was alerted on Wednesday morning that the group had left the camp and traveled to Damascus last month. The departure was a second attempt to return home after Syrian authorities turned back 34 women and their children from al-Roj camp in February.

Eleven members of the returning group are from one family: Kawsar Abbas, her two adult daughters Zeinab and Zahra, and eight other children and grandchildren, who are expected to settle in Melbourne. The other two returnees, Janai Safar and her child, are expected to settle in Sydney. Some of the children were born in detention camps after the fall of Islamic State, and seven members of the Abbas extended family, including two sons and four sons-in-law, died during fighting in Syria and Iraq.

Australian citizens cannot legally be prevented from returning to the country unless a formal exclusion order is in place. Burke has issued a single exclusion order to prevent one woman in Syria from returning, based on advice from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation about a national security risk. Such orders can apply for up to two years and cannot be made against children younger than 14.

"As we have said many times – any members of this cohort who have committed crimes can expect to face the full force of the law." Burke said.

AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said some of the adults in the group faced arrest and possible charges upon arrival in Australia, and that the children would be required to take part in an anti-extremist program and receive psychological support. She said she would not disclose how many adults faced arrest due to operational considerations, and that operational planning for the return of these individuals started in 2015.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Jonathon Duniam said the government had "actively failed to safeguard" Australians from a security risk. "If indeed any members of this cohort are set to be arrested, how is it in Australia's national interest to allow them to return? How will Labor protect Australians from these terrorist affiliates and at what cost?" he asked.

Australia has ruled out separating children from their mothers when repatriating. Under Australian law, traveling to the former Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa without a legitimate reason between 2014 and 2017 is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.