Overview
- Syria's information ministry, which said Thursday the families were stopped before the airport, claims Australia refused to take them.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the government is providing no support or assistance for any return of the group.
- Legal experts say Australian law does not block citizens with valid passports from flying home, though police could act if crimes are suspected.
- The group is four women and nine children from one extended family who left the Al Roj camp in Syria and hold Australian passports.
- A February attempt to move 34 Australians was also halted by Syrian authorities, as the United States urges countries to clear the camps and Australia argues over security risks versus children’s welfare.