Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson has accused the Albanese government of “gaslighting Australians” over the handling of a group of women and children formerly held in a Syrian detention camp, amid reports they are preparing to return to Australia using government-issued travel documents.
The controversy centres on four women and nine children linked to the Islamic State group who have left the Al-Roj camp in northern Syria, where thousands of families associated with the extremist organisation have been detained since the group’s territorial defeat in 2019.
Reports suggest the Australians involved have been issued passports and have secured travel arrangements to return home after earlier attempts to leave the camp were blocked by Syrian authorities. While the Australian government is required to provide passports to citizens, ministers have insisted it is not actively facilitating their repatriation.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the government was “not repatriating these people”, adding that assistance did not extend beyond standard consular documentation. However, the opposition has seized on the issue, arguing the government has failed to be transparent about its role.
Senator Paterson told SkyNews that the situation raised serious national security concerns and accused the government of failing to properly manage the risk posed by individuals previously associated with a listed terrorist organisation.
He argued that people who had left Australia to join ISIS had “repudiated their loyalty” and questioned why passports or travel documents were being issued at all, pointing to previous Coalition-era policies that restricted movement of suspected extremists through passport cancellation and exclusion powers.
He also referenced the use of temporary exclusion orders, which can be used to delay or prevent the return of individuals while security assessments are undertaken, saying the current government had not used the full range of available tools.
The opposition has further raised concerns about meetings between Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and community advocates who support the women’s return, as well as the involvement of prominent figures lobbying on their behalf. Paterson said this created a perception that the government was “compromised” on the issue.
The Australian government maintains it has not organised or assisted the repatriation operation itself, despite confirming it cannot prevent citizens from seeking to return if they hold valid travel documents.
The group’s departure from Al-Roj marks a significant development in a long-running and politically sensitive issue. Another 11 Australian women and children remain in the camp, with no confirmed timeline for any further returns.
Security experts and opposition MPs continue to warn that individuals linked to ISIS pose potential risks upon return, while human rights advocates argue that children in the camps should not be punished for the actions of adults and remain in deteriorating humanitarian conditions.
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