Syrian refugee's return raises alarm

Human rights groups have accused Australia of dropping a Syrian asylum seeker into the middle of a war zone.

A spokeswoman says the return of the man, known as Eyad, from Manus Island detention centre to Syria leaves 18 Syrians in Australia's immigration detention centre system.

"This is the equivalent of dropping someone in the middle of an active war zone," Human Rights Watch spokeswoman Elaine Pearson told ABC TV.