France has repatriated Tuesday 35 minors and 16 mothers from Syria's jihadist prison camps since the fall of Islamic State (IS), according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"France today began to return to France the 35 French minor children who were held in camps in north-eastern Syria. According to the press release, this operation also included the return of 16 mothers from the same camps." The press release states that the mothers were handed over to the judicial authorities while the children were taken to the child welfare services.
These 35 children join the 126 children whose parents were part of territories taken over by the Islamic State group and already repatriated back to France in 2016.
Prior to this repatriation, nearly 200 minors and 80 mothers remained in camps in northeastern Syria under the control of the Kurds. These camps are where the UN says living conditions are "appalling".
A 28-year old French woman with diabetes, died on December 14, 2021. She left behind a six year-old girl.
Claire Hedon, Defender of Rights, had asked the government to repatriate all French children held in camps in north-eastern Syria at the end of April.
The "Collective o united Families", which consists of families of French citizens who fled for the Iraqi–Syrian zone, released a press release on Tuesday. It stated that they hope this repatriation will "signify the end to this abject case by case policy which returns to sort children out, to seperate siblings, and to take children from their mothers".
