UK repatriates 2 British orphans from northeast Syria

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdish-led civilian Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) handed over two British orphans to a delegation from the United Kingdom on Monday. 

“Yesterday, 4 April, 2022, 2 British orphaned children from ISIS families were handed over to a delegation representing the UK Office of Foreign Affairs according to an official repatriation document signed by the AANES and UK government,” the co-chair of AANES’ Foreign Relations Department, Abdul Karim Omar, tweeted on Tuesday.

Yesterday, 4 April, 2022, 2 British orohaned children from ISIS families were handed over to a delegation representing the UK Office of Foreign Affairs according to an official repatriation document signed by the AANES and UK govrnment @FCDOGovUK@UKSyriaRep pic.twitter.com/21oaj2YKgN

— Dr Abdulkarim Omar (@abdulkarimomar1) April 5, 2022

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the AANES have repeatedly urged foreign countries to repatriate their citizens stuck in Syria.

Several Western countries have been reluctant to repatriate their citizens due to legal and security risks and domestic opposition to the repatriation of suspected ISIS members.

The children right’s organization Save the Children called on foreign governments on Mar. 23 to “urgently step-up efforts to repatriate” foreign children stuck in “unsafe camps” in northeast Syria along with their families.

In 2021, 74 children died in Hasakah's infamous al-Hol camp, including eight children who were murdered, the rights organization said. Aside from the 18,000 Iraqi children, there are now over 7,300 minors from 60 countries living in both camps.