Overview
- A convoy of buses carrying seven women and 14 children left the al‑Roj camp and reached Damascus on Thursday, and advocates say the group is now positioned to seek flights home.
- The federal government says it did not assist the movement but previously issued travel documents and concedes it has limited legal tools to bar citizens from re‑entry.
- Home Affairs has issued a Temporary Exclusion Order for one woman, which can bar return for up to two years, though legal experts say Canberra cannot fully prevent citizen returns.
- Earlier this month four women and nine children flew to Australia and three women were arrested by the AFP on arrival on slavery and terrorism‑related charges; ministers say any alleged offenders in the new group will face the same police action.
- Family advocates, shifting Syrian and Kurdish arrangements and pressure from international partners helped enable departures, and officials warn the returns raise urgent child welfare and reintegration challenges.