Two Australian women and four children escape Syrian detention camp and flee to Victoria

There are about 40 Australians – most of them children – held in detention camps in north Syria. The Al-Hol camp (pictured) is regarded as particularly violent. Photograph: Bernat Armangué/AP

Two Australian women and four children have escaped a Syrian detention camp and made their own way home to Victoria, as pressure mounts on the Australian government to repatriate its citizens.

The two women and four children – the Guardian is not revealing their names or ages – escaped from the notorious al-Hawl detention camp in north-east Syria, travelling more than 500km to cross the Lebanese border, where they were able to obtain Australian documents in Beirut.