At least three women linked to ISIS were arrested after returning to Australia in the May 2026 repatriation case. Australian news reports say two were detained in Melbourne and one in Sydney, while a fourth woman in the group was not arrested.

What was reported

  • Two women were arrested on arrival in Melbourne.
  • One woman was arrested on arrival in Sydney.
  • Reports said a fourth woman traveling with the group was not arrested.

Why this is the number

The wording in the reports is careful: “some” returnees would be arrested, but the confirmed arrests described in the coverage total three.

Important caveat

This figure refers to the specific 2026 return flight/news event , not a lifetime total of every ISIS-linked Australian woman ever arrested after returning home.

TL;DR

Three ISIS-linked returnees were arrested in Australia in that case, with one additional woman in the group not arrested.