Anthony Albanese has declared he will do ‘nothing’ to help 23 Australian children stranded in a Syrian detention camp – triggering a fiery on-air clash with ABC host Hamish Macdonald. 

During a tense interview on ABC Mornings, the Prime Minister insisted the government would not assist the return of ISIS-linked women and their children, saying he had ‘nothing but contempt’ for the parents who travelled to the Middle East. 

‘We will do nothing to assist these people coming back to Australia,’ he told Macdonald on ABC Mornings.

Macdonald immediately pushed back.

‘Hold on, Prime Minister. Some of these are children, Australian children, 23 children. Do you have contempt for them?’

The Prime Minister said his anger was directed at the mothers who took them into a warzone.

‘I have contempt for their parents who have put these children in that situation,’ he said.

Pressed on whether Australia had a responsibility to protect children placed in danger by adults, Albanese refused to shift.

Hamish Macdonald (pictured) challenged Anthony Albanese over his refusal to help 23 Australian children stranded in Syria

Anthony Albanese (pictured) said he had ‘contempt’ for the parents who took their children to join Islamic State and insisted the government would do ‘nothing’ to help them return 

‘So what are you, as a government doing to help and protect these children,’ Macdonald asked.

Albanese said: ‘Well, that is the responsibility of their parents and their mothers in particular, who made this decision.’

Macdonald continued to press the Prime Minister: ‘But in circumstances where parents endanger their children’s lives, what’s the responsibility of Government to step in to help and protect?’

Albanese said: ‘We have a firm position, which is that the mothers in this case who made this decision to travel overseas against Australia’s national interest, are the responsible ones who’ve put their children in this position.’

Macdonald then asked bluntly: ‘You’ll do nothing to help these children?’

‘We will do nothing to assist these people coming back to Australia. No, we won’t,’ the Prime Minister replied.

The confrontation intensified when Macdonald pointed to the Coalition’s 2019 decision under former Prime Minister Scott Morrison to repatriate eight orphaned children of ISIS fighters.

Macdonald asked why Albanese refuses to extend similar compassion now.

‘They’ve got off to a horrible start in life as a result of the appalling decisions of their parents … they’ll find their home in Australia. I’m sure they’ll be embraced by Australians, and as a result … live positive and happy lives,’ Morrison said at the time.

The Prime Minister repeatedly declared Australia would provide ‘no assistance whatsoever’ to ISIS-linked women and their children seeking to come back 

Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi (pictured) labelled the government’s stance ‘utterly disgraceful’ and demanded the families be brought home. 

But Albanese insisted the situations are not comparable and that it was impossible to repatriate the children without their mothers.

‘We can’t bring the children back without their mothers,’ adding that the women knowingly travelled to a terrorist warzone.

‘We have no sympathy, frankly, for people who travelled overseas in order to participate in what was an attempt to establish a caliphate … you make your bed, you lie in it.’

Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi has condemned the government’s refusal to assist with repatriating the group, calling the inaction ‘utterly disgraceful’ and dismissing security concerns raised by authorities.

‘It is utterly disgraceful that the government is failing to repatriate Australian women and children,’ she said.

‘They must be brought home. Any security concerns can and should be managed here in Australia. These families have languished in camps for years.’

Faruqi said it was Australia’s responsibility to deal with its own citizens.

‘If there are concerns, they should be addressed within our own legal system. These are Australian citizens,’ she said. 

Home affairs minister Tony Burke confirmed the ISIS brides were issued passports, and said all citizens had a legal right to receive official travel documents

It is understood the ISIS brides were so confident they would be able to depart that some of their tents in the camp had already been dismantled

‘We cannot wash our hands of them or render them effectively stateless.’

The 34 women and children attempted to leave the Al Roj camp in north-east Syria earlier this week, planning to travel to Damascus before making their way to Australia.

However, they were turned back due to what officials described as an administrative issue, despite holding valid Australian passports.

It is understood the families were so confident they would be able to depart that some of their tents in the camp had already been dismantled.

Home affairs minister Tony Burke confirmed the group were issued passports, and said all citizens had a legal right to receive official travel documents.

‘If anyone applies for a passport as a citizen, they are issued with a passport, in the same way that if someone applies for a Medicare card, they get a Medicare card,’ Burke told the ABC’s 7.30 program on Wednesday night. 

The government has blocked one woman from returning on national security grounds, issuing a temporary exclusion order that can prevent a person from entering Australia for up to two years.

The Australian Federal Police say they are prepared to manage any security risks if the women are allowed to return, warning that anyone suspected of committing offences will face the full force of the law.’

‘Where Australians returning to Australia have allegedly breached Australian law, they will be, where appropriate, and on a case-by-case basis, subject to law enforcement action,’ an AFP spokesperson said in a statement. 

Opposition home affairs spokesman Jonno Duniam said if one person had been barred from entry, the rest of the cohort should also be kept out of Australia to protect the community from harm.