A new group of Australian women and children connected to the ISIS terrorist organization have exited a detention facility in northeastern Syria and could be making their way back to Australia, according to Friday reports from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The news outlet stated that a bus transporting the group departed the Al-Roj facility on Thursday afternoon, accompanied by Syrian government officials in a convoy. While the group is anticipated to arrive in Damascus, the timing of any potential journey to Australia remains uncertain, according to the report.
Australia’s home affairs ministry has not yet provided a response to requests for comment.
The Australian government has previously stated it would not offer direct help for bringing back Australian families connected to ISIS, though officials have recognized “very serious limits” in their ability to block citizens from returning to the country.
Earlier in May, four women and nine children with ISIS ties came back to Australia following seven years in detention facilities. When they arrived, Kawsar Ahmad, 54, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmad, 31, faced slavery-related charges, while 32-year-old Janai Safar was charged with terrorism-related offenses.
The women’s return sparked controversy, with critics claiming Australia’s centre-left government failed to stop their repatriation.
From 2012 to 2016, several Australian women traveled to Syria to reunite with husbands who were reportedly ISIS members. After the caliphate fell in 2019, many ended up detained in camps, though some managed to return home.
In January, the United States started relocating detained ISIS members from Syria following the breakdown of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which had been overseeing multiple detention centers holding ISIS fighters and associated civilians, including foreign nationals.
