AS IT HAPPENED: 'ISIS brides' and kids arrive in Australia; Three women arrested; AFP says trio will face crimes against humanity and terrorism charges

Goodnight and thank you for following our rolling coverage of this ISIS-linked cohort's return to Australia.

You can read the full story here.

That's it from the AFP media update. You can watch the press conference in full here.

Nutt says planning for the women's possible return began in 2015, before Operation Kurrajong was launched.

He's fairly tight-lipped when it comes to any other information, refusing to answer questions about any of the other women in the cohort or government decisions on temporary exclusion orders.

He won't detail any specific efforts to reach out to the Syrian community in Australia but says general community safety is the organisation's number one priority.

"What I can say is the AFP's community liaison team have been working continuously, as they have over many years," he says.

"Those activities are highly important, of course, and will continue and ongoing."

He says no AFP assistance was provided to any of the arrivals.

The specific Commonwealth charges the older woman is facing are enslavement, possessing a slave, and using and engaging in slave trading.

The 31-year-old arrested in Melbourne will be accused of enslavement and using a slave.

Nutt says the alleged offences, all of which fall under crimes against humanity, took place in Syria.

He says the women could face court in Melbourne as early as tomorrow morning, while the 32-year-old woman arrested in Sydney will face court in NSW.

Nutt says both women arrested in Melbourne tonight are expected to be charged with crimes against humanity.

The 53-year-old is expected to be charged with four offences related to slavery and the 31-year-old is expected to face two charges also related to slavery.

All the charges come with a maximum term of life in prison if proven.

Nutt says the woman arrested in Sydney, identified by media as Janai Safar, is expected to be charged with entering or remaining in a declared area and being a member of a terrorist organisation.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Counter Terrorism Stephen Nutt has begun addressing the media.

Watch his press conference live in the player above.

Ferguson says Australia's deradicalisation program is equipped to help the 13 women and children returning from a Syrian refugee camp.

"We have a very advanced system in this country for dealing with what we call radicalised persons," Ferguson told A Current Affair host Ally Langdon.

"I'm not saying it's perfect; it's not perfect anywhere Ally, but it has had some success because we've had other people come back from what was once regarded as the Islamic State caliphate and to a certain extent, as far as we can tell, they assimilated into Australian society without particular problems."

Ferguson said those who were not charged would need to be monitored and assisted by deradicalisation experts "for a period of time".

"We've got some extraordinary deradicalisation experts and the program does work," he said.

Australia is obliged to look after the women who are returning home after years spent in Syrian refugee camps, international security advisor Neil Ferguson told A Current Affair.

"They're Australian citizens, to the best of our knowledge they don't hold dual citizenships, so we've got international obligations," he said.

"Apart from humanitarian considerations, we need to look after our citizens and take responsibility."

Ferguson said the women were expected to be assessed and interviewed by the AFP before the welfare system makes contact with them to engage in deradicalisation programs.

Three women have been arrested following their return from Syria, the Australian Federal Police has confirmed.

Two women, aged 53 and 31, were arrested on arrival into Melbourne International Airport.

A third woman, aged 32, was arrested on arrival into Sydney International Airport.

The arrests were made by Joint Counter Terrorism Teams.

The AFP says it will address the media at 8.30pm AEST.

The three women who flew into Melbourne were met by AFP officers when they touched down with their eight children, A Current Affair's Sam Cucchiara reports.

The plane landed around 5.30pm and other passengers exited the airport some time ago, but none of the women or children have been seen.

A group of supporters is lining the arrivals gates at Melbourne Airport should the women and children be released.

That includes a group of men dressed in black suits, who appear to be planning to help shield the women from the waiting media pack if they exit through the gates.