DAMASCUS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- A group of Australian families linked to the Islamic State (IS) was forced to return to a camp in northeastern Syria on Monday after the Syrian interim authority halted their planned repatriation, camp officials said.
The 11 families, with 34 people in total, had left the Kurdish-run Roj Camp in Hasakah province in the first repatriation from the camp this year. But their convoy was stopped shortly after departure and ordered to turn back before reaching Damascus.
Sheikhmous Ahmed, an official overseeing displacement and camp affairs, said Syria's interim authority had not authorized the transfer, citing incomplete coordination.
"This is a delay, not a cancellation," Ahmed said, adding that the families will remain at the camp until arrangements are finalized with authorities in Damascus.
Talks are underway to reschedule the transfer, he stated.
Hakima Ibrahim, director of Roj Camp, said the facility houses 742 families from more than 40 countries. Monday's attempt was the first repatriation effort from the camp in 2026, following several operations last year.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said repatriations from camps in northeastern Syria typically require coordination among camp authorities, the region's autonomous administration, foreign governments and the U.S.-led coalition, with tight security measures.
In 2025, thousands of families left Roj and al-Hol camps in organized departures, including Syrians and Iraqis returning to their home areas and foreign nationals handed over to delegations from their countries. ■
