Australia refuses to repatriate its citizens (ISIS families) from NE Syria camps

The Australian government has refused to repatriate its citizens (families of ISIS fighters) currently held in the North-East Syria camps, following warnings from the United States that their continued presence in these camps "increases the risk for everyone."

The Guardian reported that the US offered to transfer the Australians from the camps, provided they were issued passports or official travel documents, but Australia declined.

According to the newspaper, Australian children are living in camps described as experiencing increasing militarization and radicalization.

Australian Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, told activists at an official meeting that the government has no plan to repatriate the remaining women and children there.

It is estimated that fewer than 40 Australians from the families of ISIS fighters remain in the Roj and al-Hol camps, most of them are children, some of whom were born in the camps. These are of wives, widows, and children of ISIS fighters, and no formal charges have been brought against them so far, although some may face prosecution if they return to Australia.

Representatives of humanitarian organizations made observations about the conditions in the camps during a meeting held last June at Minister Burke's office, in which they confirmed that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had expressed their willingness to allow departure if the Australian government provided guarantees for issuing passports, but the minister clarified that "this option is not currently on the table".

J.J