Explore the latest developments concerning The four women.
The four women who left 'Australia Street' to try and leave Syria
A group of Australian families left the Al Roj camp in Syria last week. (ABC News: Baderkhan Ahmad)
Four Australian women, their children and grandchildren are stuck in limbo in Syria after leaving a refugee camp housing family members of suspected Islamic State fighters.
Last week the group left the Al Roj camp in north-east Syria with the goal of heading to the capital, Damascus, and flying home to Australia.
But after Syrian authorities said they prevented the group from reaching the airport because of strong rhetoric from the Australian government, it is unclear what their next moves will be.
Albanese says Australia has nothing to do with Syrian moves to turn back ISIS families from airport
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has denied reports Australia blocked the return of ISIS-linked families from Syria, even though they had acquired passports and plane tickets, saying his government had no contact at all “with these people” and were not working with the Syrian government.
“My government is not engaged. We are not participants with the Syrian Government. These are people who are Australian citizens,” he told SBS News. “They are reports not through the Australian Government because we are not in contact with these people.”
Addressing a press conference alongside the prime minister earlier on Thursday, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said some in the cohort would be “weighing up” their decision to return, over fears they would be arrested upon landing in Australia.
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Trump administration urges countries to help citizens stuck in Syria as Australia maintains hardline stance
Syrian officials say a group Australians ‘awaiting a solution’ as Albanese government refuses to repatriate them
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The Trump administration says it is in “active communication” with countries, urging them to repatriate citizens stranded in Syria, while the Australian government maintains its hardline stance towards Australian women and children detained since the fall of Islamic State.
A group of four women, their nine children and grandchildren left al-Roj camp, in Syria’s north-east, last Friday in a bid to return to Australia, with reports on Thursday morning that the Albanese government’s refusal to help them has left them stuck in Damascus.
For more detailed information, explore updates concerning The four women.
