The remaining Australian women and children linked to Islamic State have left the al-Roj detention camp in north-east Syria, according to vision obtained by the ABC. A minivan reportedly transported all seven women and 14 children from the camp, though this has not been officially confirmed.
The group, travelling in convoy with a Syrian government escort, is expected to book flights to Australia in the coming days. All are Australian citizens with travel documents, but one woman is subject to a temporary exclusion order preventing re-entry.
Federal minister Tanya Plibersek said the returnees would face the same consequences as previous groups, including potential terror-related charges. Health minister Mark Butler confirmed they have the legal right to return but warned of prosecution for any offences.
This is the fifth group to leave Syrian detention camps since 2019. Previous repatriations in 2019 and 2022 were government-controlled, while recent returns have been self-organised, with some women arrested upon arrival in Australia.
The al-Roj camp, controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and described as an 'incubator for radicalisation', is being gradually closed ahead of a handover to the Syrian government. The Australian government has maintained it is not assisting the returns but will enforce the law.
