Second group of ISIS-linked Australian women reportedly leaves Syrian camp

A second group of Australian women and children with alleged ties to the Islamic State (ISIS) extremist group has left the Al-Roj detention camp in northeast Syria, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The convoy, escorted by Syrian government officials, departed the camp on Thursday and is believed to be heading toward Damascus before any possible travel to Australia. Canberra has long resisted directly assisting the return of citizens linked to ISIS, although officials have admitted there are legal and practical challenges in stopping Australians from coming back.

Earlier this month, Australia received four women and nine children connected to ISIS after they had spent nearly seven years in detention camps in Syria. Following their arrival, 54-year-old Kawsar Ahmad and her 31-year-old daughter, Zeinab Ahmad, were accused of slavery-related offences, while Janai Safar, 32, was charged over alleged terrorism-related activities.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has strongly criticised the women for travelling to Syria during the peak of ISIS’s campaign to establish its self-declared caliphate. However, some of the women maintain they were manipulated or pressured into making the journey. Meanwhile, Australia’s federal opposition has intensified criticism of the government, as reported by the outlet, arguing stronger action should be taken to stop their return and claiming the repatriations could pose a risk to public safety.


Many of the women originally travelled to Syria between 2012 and 2016 to join husbands allegedly connected to the extremist group. After ISIS lost control of its self-declared caliphate in 2019, numerous foreign families were detained in camps across the region.

The situation in Syria has become more unstable in recent months following shifts in control over detention facilities previously overseen by Kurdish-led forces, prompting renewed international concern over the fate of ISIS detainees and their families.