The government of Australia has declined to assist in the return of its citizens connected to suspected Islamic State militants, following reports that some families are attempting to leave a detention camp in Syria.
According to national broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation, four Australian women along with nine children and grandchildren departed the Roj camp in northeastern Syria on April 24, citing the camp’s director.
The report indicated that Syrian authorities were transporting the group to Damascus to facilitate their possible return journey to Australia.
“The Australian Government is not and will not repatriate people from Syria,” a government spokesperson said in a statement to AFP.
“Our security agencies have been monitoring – and continue to monitor – the situation in Syria to ensure they are prepared for any Australians seeking to return to Australia,” the spokesperson added.
“People in this cohort need to know that if they have committed a crime and if they return to Australia they will be met with the full force of the law.”
The spokesperson emphasised that the government’s “overriding priority” remains the safety of Australians and the protection of national interests.
The group is part of 34 Australians previously held at the camp who were unable to return home in February, reportedly due to coordination challenges involving Syrian authorities.
At the time, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reiterated the government’s stance against offering assistance, stating: “You make your bed, you lie in it.”
The issue of repatriating relatives of Islamic State members remains divisive in Australia, with some political figures expressing concerns about potential risks to national security.
In 2023, Save the Children Australia initiated legal action on behalf of 11 women and 20 children held at the Roj camp, seeking their return.
However, the Federal Court ruled against the organisation, determining that the Australian government did not have control over their detention in Syria.
