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Six Australian Women Likely to Leave Syrian Camp for Return to Australia

The departures will test Australia's strategy of using prosecutions plus travel restrictions to manage returns.

Overview

  • Six women with their children and grandchildren are expected to leave the Al Roj camp in north‑eastern Syria, with Kurdish and Syrian officials hashing out a more than 10‑hour transfer to Damascus and onward flights.
  • One woman is not expected to travel due to a Temporary Exclusion Order, while her children are expected to depart with relatives.
  • An earlier cohort of four women and nine children returned to Australia this month, and three women were arrested on arrival and remain in custody on slavery‑related and terrorism charges.
  • At home, the prime minister says no government help will be provided to the new group, as the opposition pushes for tougher steps such as travel bans or revoking passports.
  • Shifting control inside Syria has narrowed options for movement, with Kurdish forces losing territory to Syrian state forces and departures from Al Roj now relying on deals between rival authorities.