Australia has categorically denied that it is repatriating families of Islamic State militants from a detention camp in northeast Syria, reiterating that the government will not assist or coordinate their return and will uphold national security laws.

The clarification came after Syrian and Kurdish authorities said a group of thirty-four Australian women and children left the Roj displacement camp near Derik with the intention of travelling to Damascus for onward travel, only to be returned to the camp for procedural reasons.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told national media his government “will not repatriate people” who travelled to Syria and Iraq to align themselves with the self-proclaimed Islamic State, stressing that Canberra would not provide support for such returns and that security agencies would act under law.

This stance reflects a firm view that Australians who went to join or support the militant group have undermined democratic values and will face the consequences under Australian law if they re-enter the country independently.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has underscored that authorities have limited legal mechanisms to prevent Australian citizens from returning, other than through temporary exclusion orders in specific cases, and that any potential returnees will be subject to intelligence assessments and law enforcement responses.

The government’s rejection of repatriation assistance comes amid heightened debate over how to manage nationals held in foreign displacement camps, particularly as conditions in detention facilities have deteriorated and some have been emptied or transferred following shifts in local control.

Canberra has previously repatriated small numbers of Australian women and children from Syrian camps in earlier years when assessed as vulnerable, but maintains that each case is subject to strict security consideration and legal criteria.

Opposition figures have called for stronger measures to block the return of individuals believed to have been linked to extremist movements, while humanitarian advocates continue to highlight the plight of children caught in the broader security and legal dispute.

The government emphasises its continued monitoring of the situation and its commitment to protecting Australia’s national security interests while applying the law to any individuals who manage to return without government assistance.