Australian government repatriates women and children held in Syrian refugee camp

International

30-10-2022, 20:39

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Reuters followed by -INA
The Australian government has repatriated four Australian women and their 13 children from a Syrian refugee camp, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said on Saturday in a resumption of a controversial program.

The repatriation to New South Wales State, criticized by the Liberal-National opposition, is part of bringing back from Syria dozens of Australian women and children who are relatives of dead or jailed fighters from the so-called Islamic State group.

The Labor-led government’s focus has been on the safety and security of “all Australians” and those involved in the repatriation, O’Neil said, adding the government had “carefully considered the range of security, community and welfare factors in making the decision to repatriate”.

The repatriation followed similar moves by the United States, Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Britain and Canada, O’Neil said.