Australian families return to refugee camp after being unable to leave Syria

Описание: (2 Mar 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Derik, Syria - 1 March 2026
1. Australian woman hanging clothes outside
2. Remains of Australians’ tents in the camp
3. Various of Australian woman and kid walking in camp
4. Australian tents in the camp
5. Group of kids playing outside
6. Australian boy watching kids playing
7. SOUNDBITE (Kurdish) Hakmiyeh Ibrahim, director of Roj Camp in Syria:
“Actually, when the families were returned, they were in very bad situation. Their hopes were crushed. I mean they left with such joy and hope, that they will start a new life over there. Especially the kids, they were very happy. So, they were in shock when they came back, and in fact, it was a shock.”
8. Various of women and kids in camp market
9. Kids standing by shop in market
10. Women walking by the camp market
11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Jamila Abdulatif, 39-year-old Russian citizen living in the camp:
“Russia demanded (our return). I want to be sent back. I have a 10-year-old son, and I want to go back to Russia. I have been asking for departure from a long time ago. I have my father, mother, and family over there and I want to be with them.”
12. Various of women walking in the camp
13. Man walking by tents
14. Kids running on the main entry road
15. Wide of people walking inside Roj Camp
STORYLINE:
Australian families in a Syrian refugee camp who were preparing to fly back home were returned to the site after being unable to leave Syria on Sunday.

On February 16, a group of 11 Australian families at a camp in northeast Syria housing people with alleged ties to Islamic State group militants were to begin the journey back to their home country.

The operation was part of an ongoing repatriation process, but they were turned back before they could leave Syria.

It is not clear if or when they would be able to complete the journey.

“Their hopes were crushed," said Hakmiyeh Ibrahim, director of Roj Camp in Syria. "I mean they left with such joy and hope, that they will start a new life over there. Especially the kids, they were very happy."

The 34 women and children were supposed to make their way from Roj camp to Damascus, and then fly from the Syrian capital.

Relatives of the returnees had been coordinating with Syrian authorities and had travelled from Australia to accompany them, camp officials said.

Roj camp houses about 2,200 people from around 50 nationalities, mostly women and children, who have supposed links to the extremist group.

Most in the camp are not technically prisoners and have not been accused of a crime, but they have, in effect, been detained in the heavily guarded camp, controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

AP Video by Hogir el Abdo

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