As Families Flee Syrian Camps, Australia Offers 'No Sympathy'

Australia's leader has a blunt message for its ISIS-linked citizens stuck in Syrian camps: You're on your own. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday the country will not help repatriate dozens of women and children who recently tried—and failed—to leave the Al-Roj detention camp and reach Australia via Damascus. A camp official told CNN that Syrian authorities ordered the group to return to the camp despite the families holding what were described as temporary Australian passports, saying they had not been involved in transfer plans. Two male relatives of the women and children had reportedly claimed to have coordinated with Damascus to facilitate their return.

Albanese said he couldn't confirm "anything about individuals," including whether they had valid passports, but told the ABC Australia, "We're providing absolutely no support and we are not repatriating people," adding his government has "no sympathy" for those who went to join the ISIS caliphate. The stance puts Australia at odds with UN experts and groups like Save the Children, which argue many detainees—especially children—are victims of trafficking or were born into the fallen caliphate and face abuse in the camps. While some countries, including the US, have begun bringing citizens home, Canberra says it "is not and will not" do so, warning anyone who manages to return could face prosecution "if they have committed a crime."