One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson has alleged the federal and NSW governments are preparing to house women linked to Islamic State in a refurbished prison wing in Sydney’s north-west, a claim state authorities have rejected as “categorically untrue”.
In a statement and social media posts, the One Nation leader said she had been contacted by correctional officers concerned about specialised training for “Category 5” female inmates – a classification reserved for prisoners considered serious risks to national security.
Hanson claimed the training coincided with the refurbishment of a 50-bed wing at Windsor Women’s Correctional Facility and estimated it could cost up to $650,000 a year per inmate to house women deemed violent extremists.
She accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns of conducting a “covert operation” to bring so-called ISIS brides to Australia, arguing the women should remain in Syria.
“Labor can’t be trusted to be honest with the Australian people and keep Islamic terror out,” Hanson said, questioning why governments would spend money on prison upgrades amid cost-of-living pressures.
However, NSW Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong dismissed the claims, saying upgrade works at Dillwynia Correctional Centre had been funded in the 2024–25 budget to meet broader security and capacity needs.
“I have been advised by Corrective Services NSW that there is no confirmed entry for Category 5 female inmates into the NSW prison system.”
A Corrective Services NSW spokesperson said all correctional officers undertake compulsory training to mitigate the risk of radicalisation within prisons and that security classifications are determined to maintain safety.
“Community safety is the top priority for Corrective Services NSW.”
Last month, Minns confirmed the state and federal governments were in discussions about 34 Australians linked to ISIS currently in camps in north-east Syria. Most are minors expected to be reintegrated into the community, though intelligence agencies have assessed 11 accompanying women as national security risks.
Minns said NSW was preparing to receive about a third of the cohort if they were repatriated.
The group has been living in camps including al-Roj since the collapse of the so-called Islamic State caliphate in 2019.
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