Australian women and children held for years without charge have been forced to return to a detention camp in north-east Syria after being released by Kurdish authorities before their expected repatriation to Australia. They were initially handed over to relatives who had helped arrange their repatriation, and were on their way to Damascus to leave the country when they were asked to turn back. The 34 women and children are the wives, widows and children of dead or jailed Islamic State fighters and were being held at al-Roj camp, which is controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces

Source: The Guardian February 17, 2026 05:29 UTC