Bring Yusuf Home Now!!! 

All we are asking is that Yusuf MUST be brought home to live a normal life. He is an AUSTRALIAN citizen and deserves a chance to grow amongst his family. 

It is the Australian Governments duty to protect its citizens and keep them out of harms way. 

We urge the Australian government to act immediately and BRING HIM HOME!!! 

The images of Yusuf Zahab on the SBS Dateline story “Finding Yusuf” as shown on
March 26th 2024 were very emotional and distressing – How can this this young boy
be left alone by his government?

For Yusuf’s family this has been roller-coaster of emotions, particularly for his mum
who remains interned in the Al Roj camp.
In mid-2022 Yusuf’s family believed he had been killed. They grieved his loss. What
made it so difficult was that his mum and the family did not know where and how he
died or where Yusuf was buried.

In late 2023, there were reports of Yusuf being found alive. With no credible proof of
life, the family was too frightened to accept the rumour. In some ways the rumour
inflamed their sense of loss and hopelessness.
In February 2024, investigative journalist Colin Cosier of the Dateline team found
Yusuf. The family and his mum were told he had been found. Imagine their sense of
relief. That relief has been tempered their fear and anxiety that they could lose him at
any time.

How over the years could our government and its agencies not know Yusuf’s
whereabouts, yet the SBS investigators did?
Is it a case of our government not caring about this young Australian Muslim boy?
Like the Muslim Australian women and children in the Al Hol and Al Roj camps,
Yusuf has never been accused, charged, and found guilty of any crime nor should he
when he was nothing but a mere 12-year-old when taken to Syria.

Could it be that poor Yusuf and the Australian women and children do not have any
political value to either the government or opposition and which therefore makes
them expendable? Are they an inconvenient truth which the government wishes
would just go away?

Sometime ago the government published, “Australia has no legal obligation to
repatriate the remaining 31 women and children.” But in October 2022 after much
lobbying by families and supporters four women and their children were repatriated.

Once again despite the announcement “Australia has no legal obligation to repatriate
the remaining 31 women and children” hopes were raised then dashed.

Australia had no legal obligation but morally and mercifully brought or allowed to our
shores thousands of:
1. Vietnamese
2. Cambodians
3. Indians
4. People’s Republic of China
5. Philippinos
6. South Africans
7. Liberians
8. Sierra Leoneans
9. Sudanese
10. Iraqis
11. Myanmar
12. Afghanistan
13. Syria
14. Russia
15. Ukraine; and most recently
16. Palestinians

As reported in Middle East Eye 'Fewer repatriations shows that governments are
turning their backs on these children. Governments ignore their duty, leaving children
stuck in misery' - Rasha Muhrez, Save the Children.

Megan Skinner from the office of the Prime Ministers Officer has recommended we
bring the matter of our Australian children and women with you the Hon Claire O’Neil
and the Hon Penny Wong. We are also asking for your help.

Where is our sympathy and collective conscience.

The Australian Government has the knowledge, expertise, and experience to
repatriate Yusuf as well as our other citizens trapped the camps. These poor people
need and deserve urgent help. This can all be done discreetly.

The way to protect our Australian children, adolescents and women in Syria is to
bring them home immediately.