A group of Australian women and children with alleged ties to the Islamic State militant group were turned back to the Al-Roj refugee camp in northeastern Syria this week after attempting to travel via Damascus with the aim of returning to Australia.

The convoy of 34 Australian nationals, comprising 11 women and 23 children, left the Kurdish-controlled camp on Monday but were forced to return shortly thereafter when Syrian authorities said they lacked the necessary permissions to proceed to the capital.

The episode has prompted a firm response from Canberra, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reiterating that the federal government will not assist or facilitate their repatriation.

Mr Albanese dismissed calls to intervene, telling Australian Broadcasting Corporation audiences that those who went overseas to support the self-proclaimed Islamic State had “made their bed” and will have to remain where they are.

He underscored that Canberra will provide “absolutely no support” for the group’s return, despite their Australian citizenship, and stressed that any individual who returns independently and is found to have breached Australian law could face prosecution.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has been seeking counsel from national security agencies on whether temporary exclusion orders could be applied to prevent some adults in the group from entering Australia, though children under the age of fourteen cannot be barred under those provisions.

The standoff highlights a contentious chapter in Australia’s handling of citizens detained in Middle Eastern refugee camps since the territorial defeat of Islamic State in 2019. Previous government-assisted repatriations occurred in 2019 and 2022, and in late 2025 an offer from the United States to help repatriate Australian citizens was reportedly declined by Canberra amid domestic political sensitivities.

Human rights organisations have raised alarms about conditions in Roj and similar camps, where families have lived for years amid insecurity and reports of violence, urging that Australian children be brought home for rehabilitation and reintegration.

However, the government has prioritised national security concerns and public sentiment, asserting that its primary obligation is to protect Australian communities and uphold the rule of law in any future return arrangements.