The father of one of the Australian mothers linked to Islamic State and stranded in a displaced persons camp for years has had an "emotional" reunion with his daughter.
Kamalle Dabboussy has spent years lobbying the government to help repatriate his daughter Mariam and her three children from al-Roj camp in northeastern Syria
Mariam and 15 other Australian mothers and 42 children have been in the camp in since the fall of IS after travelling to Syria with their partners who were IS members of the group.
She was one of four women, as well as 13 children, who landed in Sydney on Saturday after being taken to Erbil in Iraq to begin their journey.
Mr Dabboussy said his daughter had made a "cheeky" reunion, surprising and hugging her dad from behind as he entered the undisclosed Sydney hotel room she is staying in.
"It's been an overwhelming day, a joyous day," Mr Dabboussy said.
"There was hugs and tears, it was a very emotional moment."
Mr Dabboussy said what happened next to the mothers and children was up to authorities, who are currently interviewing the women.
The mothers, who were partners to IS members, could face continued controls, including ankle monitors and curfews, based off a fear they had been radicalised while in Syria.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said the women had been cleared to return home after individual assessments by security services.
"At all times the focus has been the safety and security of all Australians as well as the safety of those involved in the operation," she said.
Her opposition counterpart, Karen Andrews, blasted the move.
"It is inexcusable the actions that have been taken by the Albanese government is putting Australian lives at risk ... the risk that is now in our Australian communities here," she said.
Earlier this month, the Albanese government confirmed the rescue plan with the first people removed assessed as the most vulnerable of those being held.
The federal government worked with Kurdish authorities on the extraction, which reportedly included DNA testing the individuals to prove they were Australian citizens.
Most of the children were born in Syria, meaning they'll be seeing Australia for the first time.
The group was taken to an unnamed hotel in Sydney and the NSW government is providing them with support services to help with their integration into the community.
Save the Children head Mat Tinkler said the children now had hope but people should not lose track of the about 30 others who remained to be brought home.
"We cannot guarantee their safety unless they are here in Australia," he said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the safety of Australians was always paramount and the government would continue to act on national security advice.
"We will always act in a way that keeps Australians safe."
