Australian ISIS-linked families attempt repatriation from Syria amid government resistance
Consensus Summary
A group of four Australian women and nine children, all Australian citizens with links to the Islamic State, left the al-Roj detention camp in Syria on April 24, 2026, in a second attempt to return to Australia after a failed effort in February. The group, including three generations of the same family, had been detained in the camp for over six years following the fall of the ISIS caliphate. The Australian government has repeatedly denied assisting their repatriation but acknowledges their legal right to passports. The US government has expressed frustration with Australia’s stance, urging countries to repatriate citizens from Syrian camps to close the facilities. The group’s onward travel has been blocked by Syrian authorities, who claim the Australian government refused to receive them, though the Australian government denies any involvement. The women and children face potential legal consequences upon return, with one woman subject to a Temporary Exclusion Order. The situation has sparked political debate, with opposition leaders accusing the government of abdicating responsibility, while advocates argue the children should not be punished for their parents' actions.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Four Australian women and nine children (all Australian citizens) left al-Roj camp in Syria on April 24, 2026, and are attempting to return to Australia via Damascus.
- The group includes three generations of the same family: Kawsar Abbas (54), Zahra (33), Zeinab Ahmed (31), and Janai Safar (32).
- The group had previously attempted to leave al-Roj camp in February 2026 with 34 women and children (11 families) but were turned back 50 km from Damascus.
- The Australian government has denied assisting the group but admits they are entitled to passports under legislation.
- One woman in the group has been issued a Temporary Exclusion Order (TEO) barring her from re-entering Australia for up to two years on national security grounds.
- The US government has expressed frustration with Australia’s refusal to repatriate the group, urging countries to repatriate citizens from Syrian camps.
- The al-Roj camp, controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), is being shut down ahead of a handover to the Syrian government.
- The group had passports issued through prominent Sydney doctor Jamal Rifi, who has advocated for their return.
- The Australian government has stated that if the group returns, they will face the 'full force of the law' if they have committed crimes.
- Australia has previously repatriated 8 orphaned children in 2019 and 4 women with 13 children in 2022.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Mohammed Ahmad, husband of Kawsar Abbas, was suspected of funneling money to ISIS through a charity and claimed he was imprisoned in Syria after ISIS was defeated.
- Zahra, the eldest daughter of Mohammed and Kawsar Abbas, is the widow of ISIS recruiter Muhammad Zahab, who died in an airstrike in 2018.
- Janai Safar was studying health science in Australia before leaving in 2015 and had a child in Syria in 2016.
- The group left al-Roj camp on April 24, 2026, after Syrian interior forces picked them up directly and took them to Damascus.
- The US Trump administration is in 'active communication' with countries to repatriate citizens from Syria, including those without ISIS affiliation.
- Syria’s Information Ministry stated the group was turned back from Damascus airport because the Australian government 'refused to receive them'.
- The group includes wives, widows, and children of jailed or dead ISIS fighters, with some children born in the camp.
- A February 2026 letter from a US Department of State official stated: 'I see that the Australian government has dug in on its opposition to repatriating them from the camp.'
- Opposition Leader Angus Taylor called the children 'terrorist sympathisers' due to their mothers' ties to ISIS fighters.
- Shadow Assistant Minister Henry Pike questioned why the government had not reassessed the group’s risk level in four years.
- The group’s potential return has fed into a broader debate on extremism and migration settings, especially after the Bondi massacre.
- Dr. Jamal Rifi stated in a February 2026 letter that Australia would be 'safer' if the families returned in an 'orderly fashion'.
- The group’s return is the second attempt this year after a failed February attempt involving 34 women and children.
- The group’s mothers reportedly said they would willingly go to prison in Australia for terrorism offences if it meant getting their children out of Syria.
- The group’s path home remains uncertain due to potential blocks by Syrian or stopover country authorities.
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The Guardian and ABC report that Syrian authorities turned the group back from Damascus airport because the Australian government 'refused to receive them,' while the Australian government denies any involvement or support for their repatriation.
- The Guardian states the group was 'turned back before reaching Damascus international airport,' while other sources suggest they were delayed or stuck in Damascus without confirmation of their departure.
- The US Department of State letter in February 2026 claims Australia 'has dug in on its opposition to repatriating them,' but the Australian government insists its position has not changed and it is not assisting their return.
- Some sources report that the group has secured plane tickets to Australia, while others suggest their onward travel remains uncertain due to potential blocks by authorities.
- The ABC and Guardian mention that the group includes three generations of the same family, but only the ABC provides specific details about their individual backgrounds and circumstances.
Source Articles
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Australian women and children leave Syrian detention camp for Damascus – and potentially home
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Trump administration urges countries to help citizens stuck in Syria as Australia maintains hardline stance
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‘Weighing up’: MP’s big call on ISIS brides
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