The last remaining Australian women and children linked to the Islamic State (IS) have reportedly left the al-Roj detention camp in northeast Syria for Damascus, ahead of an expected return to Australia. Vision obtained by an ABC news crew showed a minivan departing the camp, reportedly transporting all remaining seven women and 14 children, though this has not been officially confirmed.
Details of the Departure
The group, traveling in a convoy with a Syrian government escort, is expected to book flights home to Australia in the coming days. All are Australian citizens with travel documents, though one woman is subject to a temporary exclusion order preventing her re-entry to Australia. The Australian government has not confirmed the reports, and it is understood no plane tickets have been booked yet. The return could take several days.
Government Response
Federal Minister Tanya Plibersek stated that the group would face the same consequences as previous returnees. "They'll face the same consequences as the first group," she told the ABC on Friday. The Australians are wives, widows, and children of jailed or dead IS fighters, held at the camp for over six years. Some women could face terror-related charges upon landing, though many claim they were coerced or tricked into entering Syria.
Previous Repatriations
This is the fifth group of Australians to leave Syrian detention camps since 2019. The Morrison and Albanese governments each conducted one government-controlled repatriation. Late last year, a group of women escaped from the nearby al-Hawl camp and returned to Australia. Last month, four women and nine children returned from Damascus. Three women were arrested and charged by Australian federal police upon arrival, including slavery and terrorism-related offenses.
The al-Roj camp, controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and described by the US as an "incubator for radicalisation," is being steadily shuttered ahead of a handover to the Syrian government. The Albanese government maintains it is not actively assisting the Australians' return but warns that any offenders will be prosecuted to the "full extent of the law." Health Minister Mark Butler noted that returning citizens have the legal right to enter Australia but may face police if they have committed offenses. The US government, which funds the camp, has pressured Australia to take back its citizens.
