Australian Women and Children Linked to ISIS Forced to Return to Syrian Camp

Syrian media reported that 11 families, comprising 24 people, left the Al-Roj detention camp on Monday morning local time. However, the ABC has been told the group actually included 34 people. According to sources familiar with the matter, the families were travelling under escort by Kurdish security forces, who control parts of north-eastern Syria, including the area where the Al-Roj camp is located.

The ABC was also informed that Australian passports had already been issued to members of the group. However, shortly after the convoy left the camp, Syrian government authorities intervened and refused to allow the group to continue towards Damascus. A message was conveyed to the families by their Kurdish escorts that Syrian officials would not permit them to proceed. As a result, the convoy was forced to turn back and return to the Al-Roj camp.

In a statement, the Australian federal government said it would not assist with the repatriation of people from Syria.
“The Australian government is not and will not repatriate people from Syria,” the statement said.
“Our security agencies are monitoring the situation in Syria and will continue to do so to ensure they are prepared for any Australians seeking to return.
“Members of this cohort should be aware that if they have committed crimes and return to Australia, they will face the full force of the law.
“The safety of Australians and the protection of Australia’s national interests remain the overriding priority.”

The government did not confirm whether Australian passports had been issued to the group.

The incident comes years after the collapse of the so-called Islamic State “caliphate” in 2019, when dozens of Australian women and children were detained in camps and prisons in Syria. Many of the women were partners, or alleged partners, of ISIS fighters who were killed or imprisoned during the conflict.

Australia has previously repatriated a small number of its citizens from Syrian camps. In 2022, the first group of Australians — four women and 13 children — were released from the Al-Roj detention camp and brought back to Australia. However, as of last year, more than 30 Australians were still believed to be held in the camp and wanted to return home, according to one of the detained women who spoke to the ABC.

The director of the Al-Roj camp, Hakmiyeh Ibrahim, recently urged foreign governments to take responsibility for their citizens.
“My message is not only to Australia but to all countries: take your citizens, take these children and women,” she told the ABC.

Ms Ibrahim warned that time was running out, as children were growing up in an environment surrounded by “dangerous ideas and ideologies”.
“We brought families of ISIS-affiliated women and children here in 2017, and now it is 2026,” she said.
“The more time passes, the more complicated the situation becomes.”

Kurdish authorities, who oversee security in parts of north-eastern Syria, have repeatedly called on foreign governments to repatriate their nationals, arguing that the camps are overcrowded and ill-equipped to deal with long-term detention. Human rights groups have also warned that prolonged detention of women and children in such camps risks further radicalisation and violates basic rights.

Despite international pressure, the Australian government has maintained a hardline stance on repatriation, citing national security concerns and the risk posed by individuals with links to extremist groups.