France has successfully repatriated 364 children of suspected ISIS members from northeast Syria, according to Olivier Christen, Rudaw reported yesterday citing the head of the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office. The children, now under close monitoring, are part of France’s ongoing efforts to bring back its nationals from Rojava. Christen emphasized that while concerns about extremist tendencies exist, the children, ranging from toddlers to teenagers, do not appear to exhibit such behaviors.
Since 2019, France has repatriated 170 women from Syria and Iraq, with nearly half of the children returned in the last two years. In July 2023, 25 children and 10 women were brought back from Rojava. The Al-Hol camp, where many families were detained, has been criticized for its dire conditions and labeled a “breeding ground” for terrorism. Kurdish authorities continue to urge the international community to repatriate their nationals, but many countries remain hesitant due to security concerns.
