Australian Women and Children Linked to Islamic State Return Home After Escaping Syria

A small group of Australian women and children who had been stranded in Syria for years after living under Islamic State rule have managed to escape the country and return home.

The six, who either travelled to Syria or were taken there as partners of IS members, recently arrived in Beirut without valid visas or entry records and were detained by Lebanese authorities.

According to reports, the group left Syria without assistance from the Australian government. After being processed by Lebanese officials and undergoing security and DNA checks by Australian agencies, they were issued Australian passports and allowed to return.

The women and children had long been monitored by Australian authorities, who anticipated that some might attempt to return independently.

Their arrival comes weeks after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dismissed reports that Canberra was preparing to rescue around 40 Australians still in Syria.

Since the fall of Islamic State in 2019, many women and children linked to the group have been held in the al-Hol and al-Roj camps, often against their will, under dire humanitarian conditions.