
Minister for Health Mark Butler at the National Press Club in Canberra, Australia on Aug. 20, 2025. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas
The Australian government said it is not involved in efforts to return a group of women linked to Islamic State and their children from Syria, after Syrian authorities claimed the group had been blocked from travelling because Australia refused to receive them.
Health Minister Mark Butler said the government was not assisting the return of the four women and nine children, and was not engaged with Syrian authorities, but did not confirm whether Australia had played any role in preventing their departure.
We had a problem loading this article. Please enable javascript or use a different browser. If the issue persists, please visit our help center.








