Canberra has issued a temporary ban preventing an Australian citizen, allegedly linked to the Islamic State group, from returning to the country from a detention camp in Syria, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed Wednesday.
The move comes after a group of 34 Australians – 11 women and 23 children – attempted to return home from the Al-Roj camp in northeastern Syria, traveling towards Damascus with the expectation of onward travel to Australia. Syrian authorities turned the group back to the camp on Monday, according to reports. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated Tuesday his government would not assist with repatriation efforts, telling the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, “We have no sympathy, frankly, for people who travelled overseas in order to participate in what was an attempt to establish a caliphate to undermine, destroy our way of life.”
Burke’s ban applies to a single individual within the group, citing security concerns. “We’ve taken action to prevent one person from returning,” Burke said, without disclosing the individual’s identity or the specific nature of their alleged links to ISIS. “That person has been issued with a temporary exclusion order.”
The attempted return of the families has reignited debate within Australia regarding the handling of citizens linked to ISIS who remain in Syria and Iraq. Successive Australian governments have been reluctant to facilitate repatriation, citing both the dangers within the camps and security risks posed by returning individuals.
According to a report from the ABC, the families had obtained temporary Australian passports, believing they had coordinated their return with Syrian authorities. However, Damascus reportedly denied any prior arrangement, leading to their forced return to Al-Roj. A camp official, Rashid Omar, told CNN he did not understand why the families were sent back despite possessing the passports. Albanese declined to comment on the validity of the passports, stating he could not “confirm anything about individuals.”
The situation highlights the ongoing challenges faced by countries grappling with the fate of their citizens who traveled to join ISIS. Australia’s position, as articulated by Albanese, is firm: those who willingly joined the group will not receive government assistance to return. “If you make your bed, you lie in it,” he said, echoing a sentiment that has drawn criticism from human rights advocates concerned about the welfare of the children in the camps.
The Australian government continues to monitor the situation in Syria, with security agencies assessing the risks associated with any potential return attempts. Burke indicated that anyone returning to Australia who is found to have broken the law will be prosecuted. The temporary exclusion order issued this week remains in effect, and the fate of the remaining 33 Australians in Al-Roj remains uncertain.
