Russia repatriates 15 children of ISIS members from Hawl camp, Syria’s Hasakah
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Anna Yurievna Kuznetsova, Children’s Rights Commissioner for the President of the Russian Federation, announced on Wednesday the arrival of 15 Russian children of ISIS members from Syria.
The office confirmed that 15 children of Russian ISIS members from both Hawl and Roj camps in Autonomous Administration-held areas in northeast Syria were repatriated to Russia.
It is worth mentioning that the children’s parents came to both Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State (ISIS) years ago.
The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) handed 27 Russian children of ISIS families over to Russia on August 18 after lifting the restrictions on flying due to the coronavirus.
At the time, the AANES Department of Foreign Affairs denied handing over Russian children from Hol camp.
Meanwhile, the AANES handed over 35 orphaned Russian children of ISIS families to Russia on February 6 through the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Additionally, Russia announced that it received 157 Russian children of ISIS members who went to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS.
There are more than 68,000 individuals associated with ISIS, including thousands of foreign families, in Hawl camp to the south of Hasakah.
A source in the Foreign Relations Bureau of the Autonomous Administration told North Press that the Autonomous Administration is in constant contact with all countries to repatriate their citizens, pointing out that there is a good level of responsiveness, but that the legal procedures of these countries slows the process.
Furthermore, the Autonomous Administration has surrendered 170 women and 112 children of ISIS families to their original countries so far, especially after the elimination of the terrorist group by the Global Coalition-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on March 23, 2019.