In 2021, Syria’s AANES repatriated 324 members of ISIS militants
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Qamishli-based Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) has repatriated 324 children and women of the Islamic State Organization (ISIS) militants, to their state representatives during 2021.
North Press managed to obtain a statistic from the External Relations Directorate said that 66 women and 265 children belonging to ISIS militants have been repatriated to their state representatives in accordance with official documents since early 2021.
92 persons, including 68 children, were handed to Uzbekistan Foreign Ministry in April.
Also, 62 persons were handed to the Russian Foreign Ministry over three batches, the last of which was in December.
Representative of the Canadian Foreign Ministry repatriated two children in March and in June.
In February, France repatriated four children.
In June, Netherlands repatriated three children and one woman.
Ukraine repatriated seven children and one woman.
Again in June, the AANES repatriated 16 persons including 10 children and 6 women to Belgium.
Finland repatriated two children and a woman.
In July, Macedonia repatriated 11 persons including 9 children and two women.
In July, Albania repatriated 19 persons,14 children and five women.
In September and October, Sweden repatriated 20 persons, 14 children and six women.
In October, Germany repatriated 31 persons, eight women and 23 children.
In the same month, Denmark repatriated 17 persons, including 14 children and three women.
Meanwhile, Britain repatriated three children.
Representatives of the Foreign Ministry of Norway repatriated one child in November.
In December, representatives of the Swiss Foreign Ministry received two children.
In August, Palestine repatriated two children.
The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRG), repatriated 23 persons: 9 women and 14 children in four batches.
Besides, ten Yazidi children were reunited with their mothers in March.
Hundreds of people from Arab and western countries joined ISIS as soon as it announced formation of the caliphate in Iraq and Sham and took control over swaths in the countries between 2013 and 2014.
In March 2019, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declared the defeat of ISIS and liberation of last stronghold ISIS in Syria.
As a result, hundreds of ISIS members and families surrendered to the SDF, which in turn distributed them to several camps in northeast Syria.
The AANES urges foreign countries to repatriate their citizens with links to ISIS, warning that children of ISIS in squatter camps will be raised on extremism ideologies leading to the resurgence of a radical generation.
On September 29, the UN launched the Global Framework on United Nations Support on Syria and Iraq Third Country National Returnees to help dozens of Member States across the world to bring their nationals home.
The AANES said the initiative is a “positive step” but it is not clear whether it includes family members of ISIS in the Hawl and Roj camps.
The AANES repatriated 282 children and women in 2020, 389 children and women in 2019 to their countries.