The Australian government has unequivocally announced that it will not facilitate the repatriation of thirty-four women and children from north-eastern Syria, where they are held in internally displaced persons camps after years of detention linked to the Islamic State group.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated in Melbourne that Canberra will provide no support for their return and reaffirmed that individuals who travelled to Syria to support efforts to establish an extremist caliphate must face the consequences of their choices.

The group, comprising women and children from eleven families, had been preparing to travel from the Roj camp to Damascus and onwards to Australia, with arrangements organised by relatives rather than Australian authorities.

Syrian officials turned the group back to the camp due to incomplete procedural documentation.

Albanese indicated that the Australian government had no plans to intervene and would not repatriate them.

Canberra’s position underscores its emphasis on national security and the rule of law.

Albanese declined to confirm reports that members of the group held Australian passports, underscoring that any return without government support could lead to legal action under Australian terrorism laws.

He said his government had no sympathy for those who had joined attempts to undermine democratic societies and insisted that security agencies’ advice would guide policy.

The decision reflects longstanding legal and political challenges over repatriating citizens tied to extremist groups.

Previous legal attempts by advocacy organisations to compel the government to bring home detained Australians have been dismissed by Australian courts, which have held that the government has no legal obligation to extract those in foreign custody.

Australia has repatriated small numbers of its nationals from Syrian camps on two earlier occasions following the territorial defeat of the Islamic State, including orphaned children and their carers.

However, the current government’s stance marks a shift toward denying further assisted returns, even as international partners such as the United States and European countries have repatriated their citizens.

The issue remains contested domestically and internationally, with humanitarian advocates highlighting the precarious conditions in camps such as Roj and the developmental needs of children who have spent most of their lives in custody.

Albanese’s announcement is likely to shape debate in Canberra over national security policy, legal obligations to citizens abroad, and the treatment of individuals connected to violent extremism.