Australia’s center-left government ‌on Sunday rejected a local media report that said it was working to repatriate Australians in a ​Syrian camp holding families of suspected Daesh militants. The 34 women and children were released on Monday from the camp in northern Syria, but returned to the detention center due to technical reasons. The group is expected to travel to ‌Damascus before eventually returning ‌to Australia, despite ​objections from ‌ruling ⁠and ​opposition lawmakers.
On ⁠Sunday, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke rejected claims made in a report in the Sunday Telegraph, asserting that official preparations were under way for the cohort’s return.
“In that report, it makes a claim that ⁠we are conducting a repatriation. We are ‌not,” Burke told ‌Australian Broadcasting Corp. television.
“It claims ​we have been ‌meeting with the states for the purposes of ‌a repatriation. We have not,” Burke added. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who leads Australia’s Labour Party, said this week his government would not help ‌the group return to Australia.
The return of relatives of suspected Daesh ⁠militants ⁠is a political issue in Australia, which has seen a surge in popularity of the right-wing, anti-immigration One Nation party led by Pauline Hanson.
Daesh, the Sunni Muslim militant group, is listed as a terrorist organization in Australia, with membership of the group punishable by up to 25 years in prison. Australia also has the power to ​strip dual nationals ​of citizenship if they are a Daesh member.