“She will have to report where she lives, where she works, where she studies, if she books a ticket to anywhere, for telecommunications she cannot use any telecommunications device without giving 24 hours’ notice,” Minister Tony Burke told ABC radio.

Sydney woman Hodan Abby, who left her western Sydney home with a friend in 2015 and travelled to the Middle East when she was 18, has been granted a permit to return to Australia. Abby, who was blocked from boarding a flight in Damascus in May under a temporary exclusion order issued by the federal government, was later reported to have disappeared with her young disabled daughter inside the Syrian prison system.

Abby's daughter has a series of debilitating medical conditions caused by shrapnel that has been lodged in her body for most of her life. Medical records show the child suffers from chronic headaches, reduced mobility, developmental challenges and potentially permanent paralysis if the shrapnel is not removed soon. Save the Children’s chief executive Mat Tinkler welcomed the move, saying Abby’s daughter was “among the most vulnerable in the group, making her safe and immediate return to Australia a matter of urgency”.

The Australian Government Solicitor’s office made clear, following Abby’s request for a return permit, that the temporary exclusion order could no longer remain in place. “Significant and invasive surveillance” would be attached to Abby's return permit, government sources said.

Abby would have to notify the Department of Home Affairs of all interstate or international travel, and the use of any telecommunications devices, the internet, or a computer for any purpose. This move comes as the terror alert warning system is under review to see if it needs to be updated to reflect the true nature of modern national security risks.

Minister Tony Burke confirmed that the terror alert warning system was under review. “There’s a review that’s happening on that,” Burke said. “The thing that matters is making sure that the Australian people, but also all the law enforcement agencies, get the best possible information.”

Opposition defence spokesman James Paterson accused Burke of a “tortured” explanation of why Abby was now allowed to return to Australia despite the previous exclusion order.

ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said his agency was prepared for Abby's return. “ASIO is not all-seeing and all-knowing, and we don’t want to be, but I can assure your listeners that actually the full use of my organisation’s capability and powers will be used when this individual returns to this country,” Burgess told ABC radio.

Key Facts

  • Hodan Abby was blocked from boarding a flight in Damascus in May under a temporary exclusion order issued by the federal government.
  • Abby's daughter has a series of debilitating medical conditions caused by shrapnel that has been lodged in her body for most of her life.
  • Medical records show the child suffers from chronic headaches, reduced mobility, developmental challenges and potentially permanent paralysis if the shrapnel is not removed soon.
  • The temporary exclusion order could no longer remain in place following Abby's request for a return permit.
  • Abby's return permit would include a raft of monitoring measures, including notification of all interstate or international travel, and the use of any telecommunications devices, the internet, or a computer for any purpose.
  • The terror alert warning system is under review to see if it needs to be updated to reflect the true nature of modern national security risks.