Damascus, Syria. Syrian Kurdish forces released 34 Australians detained in Roj camp in northern Syria, saying they would be flown to Australia from Damascus.
Release and transfer arrangements
Hukmiya Mohamed, a co-director of Roj camp, told Reuters the 34 Australians had been handed to family members who travelled to Syria for the release. She said the group was placed on small buses bound for Damascus ahead of their departure from the country, with a military vehicle escorting the convoy.
Roj camp and detainee background
Roj camp holds more than 2,000 people from 40 different nationalities, the majority of them women and children. Thousands of people believed to be linked to Islamic State militants have been held at Roj and a second camp, al-Hol, since the jihadist group was driven from its final territorial foothold in Syria in 2019.
Australian government position
The Australian government said in a statement it would not repatriate people from Syria. “Our security agencies have been monitoring—and continue to monitor—the situation in Syria to ensure they are prepared for any Australians seeking to return to Australia,” the government said. It added that people returning after committing crimes would be met “with the full force of the law,” and said safety and national interests remained the priority.
Security developments in northern Syria
Syrian government forces seized swathes of northern Syria from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in January, before agreeing a ceasefire on 29 January. The United States military last week completed a mission to transfer 5,700 adult male Islamic State detainees from Syria to Iraq.
Previous releases
Mohamed said the Syrian Kurdish-led authorities had previously facilitated numerous releases from Roj through coordination with foreign governments.
What steps will Australian authorities take if any of the released Australians seek to return to Australia?