34 Australian Nationals Return to Roj Camp in Syria After Failed Departure

34 Australian Nationals Return to Roj Camp in Syria After Failed Departure
—————————————–
Roj Camp in northeastern Syria’s Hasakah province saw the return of 34 Australian nationals, mostly women and children from families of ISIS members, after a brief attempt to leave for Damascus on Monday, officials told AFP.

Hekmat Ibrahim, director of Roj Camp, had earlier reported that 11 families, comprising 34 Australian citizens, were handed over to relatives from Australia for transport out of the camp. AFP journalists at the scene saw women, some fully veiled, boarding small buses with children and luggage, heading toward Damascus by road.

However, Roj Camp official Rashid Omar later confirmed that the group returned to the camp shortly after departure due to coordination issues between their relatives and the Syrian authorities in Damascus. An Australian delegation accompanying the families is reportedly working to resolve the situation with Syrian officials before another departure attempt.

Ibrahim noted that no Australians remain in the camp, which currently hosts around 2,201 people from nearly 50 nationalities.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told ABC that his government will not assist the 34 Australians, stating that those who traveled abroad to join ISIS “chose this path themselves,” and expressed regret that the children were affected but reaffirmed that no government support would be provided.