Four Australian families leave Syrian camp in renewed attempt to return home
Introduction
A group of four Australian women and nine children, who were stuck in the Al Roj refugee camp in northeastern Syria, left the camp on Friday. They are trying to travel to Damascus and then return to Australia. This is the second known attempt by these families to go home after a failed effort in February 2026.
Main Body
The departure was organized by Syrian interior forces, who transported the group from Al Roj to the capital, Damascus. According to Lana Hussein, an official with the Women’s Protection Units of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that manages camp security, the families are expected to stay in Damascus for about 72 hours before being sent back under security procedures. The group includes Zeinab Ahmed, Kawsar Abbas, Zahra Ahmed, and Janai Safar, along with their children and grandchildren. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the day before that 17 members from four families were preparing to leave. This attempt follows a previous one in February 2026, when 11 women and 23 children tried to leave Al Roj but had to turn back shortly after starting the over-ten-hour journey to Damascus. At that time, the failure was blamed on an administrative problem—specifically, poor coordination with Syrian government forces. Supporters, including Sydney-based doctor Jamal Rifi, claimed that a media tip-off had damaged the group’s ability to leave quietly. The families had been told to wait before trying again. The Australian government’s position has been consistent in public statements. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in February that he had no sympathy for the group and insisted that the government was not helping them leave. However, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke acknowledged a legal duty to provide passports to the women and children because they are Australian citizens. Single-use travel documents had been obtained before the February attempt, and Dr. Rifi said he had brought them to Syria. Australian officials visited Al Roj in 2022 to check identities, which likely allowed the passports to be issued. One of the women was later given a Temporary Exclusion Order (TEO) that bars her from entering Australia for two years on national security grounds. The federal opposition proposed new criminal offences for people who help such repatriation efforts. Broader political changes in northeastern Syria have changed the situation for these repatriation attempts. Since early 2026, government forces loyal to President Ahmed al-Sharaa have moved into areas previously controlled by the SDF, including areas around the Al Hol camp, where some of the Australian women and children had been held before. The Syrian government accused the SDF of leaving their posts at major prisons that held Islamic State fighters, which led to breakouts. The larger Al Hol camp has since been closed, and thousands of suspected IS militants were moved to Iraq by the U.S. military for trial. Kurdish authorities have repeatedly asked countries, including Australia, to take back their citizens, while legal experts have warned that children left in the camps face a higher risk of becoming radicalized. Australian governments have brought women and children back from Syrian detention camps on two previous occasions, and some individuals have returned without official help.
Conclusion
The departure of the four families from Al Roj represents a renewed effort to return to Australia during a period of instability in northeastern Syria. The outcome depends on coordination with Syrian authorities and the Australian government’s legal and policy decisions, including the existing exclusion order and ongoing political debate about repatriation.