7am What’s next for the Aussie ‘ISIS brides’ trapped in Syria
Feb 18, 2026
Dr. Joshua Landis, Syria analyst who runs Syria Comment, and David Shoebridge, Greens senator active on human rights, discuss Australians held in northeast Syria. They cover the failed journey home, comparisons with other countries, risks and uncertainty around radicalisation, prospects for rehabilitation, and how regional chaos and camp releases shape what comes next.
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Young Mothers Held For Years
- Many of the Australian women were young when they travelled to Syria and are now in their late 20s or early 30s.
- David Shoebridge met them and describes most of the group as mothers with children aged five to thirteen held in a desert detention camp for nearly a decade.
Repatriation Failed At Final Checkpoint
- The group tried to travel from Al-Raj camp toward Damascus but were stopped at a final checkpoint and turned back.
- Shoebridge suggests poor diplomatic communication with Damascus may have caused the abrupt reversal, leaving children devastated.
Use Oversight And Reintegration Systems
- If crimes were committed by returnees, Australia should investigate and prosecute under its laws.
- Shoebridge urges using ASIO and AFP oversight plus reintegration resources like previous repatriations to protect children and public safety.