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8h ago

Albanese Rules Out Repatriation After 34 Australians Turned Back From Syria

Canberra maintains a no-assistance stance after a family-organised bid to leave Roj camp was stopped over incomplete procedures.

Family members of suspected Islamic State militants who are Australian nationals board a van heading to the airport in Damascus during the first repatriation operation of the year, at Roj Camp in eastern Syria, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. Thirty-four Australian citizens from 11 families departed the camp. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad)
People walk beside a van with their belongings for departure at the Roj camp in al Malikiyah, Syria, on February 15, 2026. These families, who had been affiliated with ISIS, are among 11 Australian families repatriated from the Roj camp. The transfer operations faced challenges and obstacles, leading to the families being returned to the camp until the issue is resolved. (Photo by Amjad Kurdo / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
Members of Australian families believed to be linked to the Islamic State militants leave Roj camp near Derik, Syria February 16, 2026. The families later returned to the detention center due to "technical reasons," two sources told Reuters. REUTERS/Orhan Qereman
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Overview

  • Thirty-four Australian citizens — 11 women and 23 children from 11 families — left Roj camp for Damascus but were ordered back when Syrian authorities said departure steps were not completed.
  • Camp officials said relatives traveled from Australia to collect the group and that Kurdish escorts turned around after being denied entry to government-held territory.
  • A camp official reported that family representatives presented temporary Australian passports, though the prime minister declined to confirm any documentation for individuals.
  • The government says it will not repatriate or assist returns and warns that anyone who does reach Australia and has broken the law will face prosecution, with security agencies continuing to monitor the situation.
  • Save the Children renewed calls to bring children home after losing a 2024 court bid, as rights groups document harsh camp conditions and note Australia previously facilitated limited returns in 2019 and 2022 alongside some independent arrivals.