Australian IS-linked women and children return from Syrian detention camps
Consensus Summary
The articles cover the return of the final group of Australian women and children linked to Islamic State, who left the al-Roj detention camp in Syria on May 15, 2026, and arrived in Australia on May 25. The group consists of seven women and 14 children, all Australian citizens, with one woman barred from returning due to a Temporary Exclusion Order. The women are wives, widows, or children of jailed or deceased IS fighters, held in the camp since 2019. Upon arrival, some faced charges for terrorism-related offenses, including slavery and joining a terrorist organization. The Australian government has refused to assist in repatriation but issued passports, stating it cannot legally block citizens from returning. The return has reignited political debate, with the government emphasizing enforcement of the law and opposition parties criticizing the lack of action to prevent their return. The children, many born in the camp, are seen as vulnerable and in need of support, while the women’s claims of coercion or deception in joining IS remain contested.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Seven Australian women and 14 children left al-Roj camp in Syria on 2026-05-15 (local time) and arrived in Damascus
- The group includes wives, widows, and children of jailed or dead Islamic State fighters, held in al-Roj since 2019
- One woman in the group is subject to a Temporary Exclusion Order (TEO) banning her from returning to Australia for up to two years on national security grounds
- The group arrived in Australia on 2026-05-25, with flights landing in Melbourne and Sydney (two women and seven children in Melbourne, four women and six children in Sydney)
- Three of the women who returned earlier in May (2026-05-01) were arrested and charged: Kawsar Ahmad and Zeinab Ahmad with slavery offences, Janai Safar with joining a terrorist organisation and travelling to a proscribed terrorist area
- The al-Roj camp is controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and is being shut down ahead of a handover to the Syrian government
- The Australian government has issued passports to the group but has not assisted in their repatriation, stating it cannot stop citizens from returning
- The group travelled from al-Roj to Damascus via bus convoy with Syrian government escorts, then flew to Qatar before arriving in Australia
- The women and children are Australian citizens, with some born in the camp and never having left Syria
- The Albanese government has stated it has no sympathy for the group and will enforce the law if crimes are committed, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declaring 'nothing but contempt' for those linked to ISIS
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Jamal Rifi, a Sydney doctor, coordinated the return of the group and stated some women were 'tricked' into going to Syria
- Nesrine Zahab claimed she was 21 when she entered Syria unintentionally while trying to help refugees
- Kirsty Rosse-Emile was groomed and manipulated into leaving Australia at age 14 to marry an IS fighter
- Hodan Abby's child, not covered by the TEO, elected to stay with her in Syria
- AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett confirmed surveillance of IS-linked Australians began in 2015 under Operation Kurrajong
- Kawsar Kanj's husband, Majed Raad, was acquitted over the Pendennis terror plot in 2005 and is thought to be in a Syrian prison
- Kirsty Rosse-Emile's husband, Nabil Kadmiry, had his Australian citizenship stripped in 2020
- Aminah Zahab's son, Muhammad Zahab, was a senior IS recruiter who convinced multiple family members to join IS
- Save the Children Australia called for wraparound health and psychosocial support for the returning children
- The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, refused to explicitly back ASIO’s assessment of the cohort and stated he did not trust the government
- Deputy Opposition Leader Jane Hume called the group 'potentially an enormous danger to our citizens'
- The group's belongings were searched and devices downloaded upon arrival in Australia, but no arrests were made this time
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The Guardian and ABC report that the group left al-Roj on 2026-05-15, but Article 7 (ABC) suggests the departure was imminent days earlier (2026-05-19)
- Article 1 (Guardian) states no plane tickets had been booked by the Australian government, while Article 4 (Newscomau) claims tickets were acquired through The Australian
- Article 3 (ABC) says two flights carried 19 people (12 children, 7 women), but Article 8 (Guardian) reports 19 people (12 children, 7 women) split between Melbourne and Sydney, with discrepancies in names listed
- Article 1 (Guardian) and Article 2 (ABC) mention 7 women and 14 children, but Article 3 (ABC) and Article 8 (Guardian) mention 12 children and 7 women, with slight variations in totals
- Article 1 (Guardian) states the group left 'ahead of an expected return home,' while Article 9 (ABC) says the group booked flights 'within days' of leaving al-Roj
Source Articles
Last Australian women and children linked to IS leave Syrian camp before expected return home – report
Federal minister Tanya Plibersek says the group will face same repercussions on arrival in Australia as previous returnees Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The last remaining Australian women and children left stranded in the al-Roj detention camp have reportedly left north-east Syria for Damascus, ahead of an expected return to Australia. Vision obtained by an ABC news crew in Syria showed a minivan leaving the c
Breaking: Another group of Australians with IS-links leave camp in Syria for Australia
The ABC has seen buses carrying the group which left the Al Roj camp on Thursday afternoon local time.
More ISIS-linked women and children land in Melbourne and Sydney
Two flights carrying women and children linked to the Islamic State group have landed in Australia.
Second group of ISIS brides to return home
A second group of Australian women and children linked to ISIS have reportedly taken a big step as part of efforts to return home.
Women and children linked to ISIS spend first night back in Australia
A group of so-called ISIS brides who left the notorious al-Roj camp in Syria last week have spent their first night home in Australia.
‘Trust’: Tense on-air clash over ISIS brides
Housing Minister Clare O’Neil has faced a grilling over the safety risks posed by a group of ISIS-linked Australians who have returned home.
More ISIS-linked women and children set to return to Australia
Six Australian women, along with their children and grandchildren, look likely to leave a camp in Syria within days.
Group of women and children linked to Islamic State land in Melbourne with others expected in Sydney
Cohort of 12 children and seven women who were held in a Syrian camp were expected to fly into Sydney and Melbourne on Tuesday Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A plane carrying some of the 19 Australian women and children held in Syria since the defeat of Islamic State has landed in Melbourne, with the remainder due to land in Sydney on Tuesday evening. The cohort of 12 children and seven women left a Syrian deten
ISIS-linked women and children to return to Australia within days
A group of women and children linked to Islamic State fighters are expected to arrive home within days after purchasing flights to Australia.
ISIS brides to touch down in Aus
A second group of ISIS-linked women and children are expected to arrive in two major Australian cities in just a matter of hours.
Australian IS-linked families arrive in Damascus
After leaving the al-Roj refugee camp on Thursday, a group of seven Australian women and 14 children has arrived in the Syrian capital, Damascus.
What we know about the remaining families returning from Syria
The last cohort of ISIS-linked Australians living in a notorious Syrian camp are expected to return back into Australia in the coming hours. Here's what we know about them.