Australia's Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke is consulting security agencies on whether to temporarily block Australian women and children from returning home from a Syrian detention camp. On Monday night, 34 women and children linked to Islamic State fighters left the al-Roj camp in north-eastern Syria but had to turn back due to poor coordination with the Damascus government, a camp official said. The Australian government had not arranged their travel, and it is unclear if they had proper documents. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the government will not help repatriate the group but acknowledged officials must issue passports and that citizens have the right to return. A spokesperson for Burke said the government is reviewing if conditions meet the high bar for Temporary Exclusion Orders (TEOs), which prevent entry for up to two years due to terrorism risks. TEOs require reasonable suspicion that a person poses a terror threat, are over 14 years old, and are assessed by security agencies as a risk. The exact number of people in the group who meet these criteria is unknown. Opposition senator Jonno Duniam urged the government to apply TEOs and protect Australians from risks. Conversely, Greens senator David Shoebridge called on the government to aid the women and children, many of whom are victims or very young. Albanese defended the current stance, saying the group supported Islamic State and the government will not repatriate them, though Australian law applies and lawbreakers will face consequences. Families of those turned back were unaware of the failed plan and learned about it only through media reports. Security agencies continue to monitor the situation for any Australians seeking to return.