Australia's Parliament passed a raft of legislation in October designed to make it easier to prosecute Australians who fight with militants in Syria and Iraq.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was given powers to designate regions as terrorist hotspots where travel was banned unless legitimate reasons can be proved.
She told Parliament today that al-Raqqa had become the first region in the world be subjected to such a travel ban. Going to or remaining in the province is an offense that carries a potential 10-year prison sentence.