The Syrian Initiative to Combat Statelessness
66
makeup 66% 34 of the camp’s population.
This interest came after the circulation of many stories of children and
mothers living in poor humanitarian conditions inside the camp among
these reports is a series of documentary investigations by “Euronews” published on March 22, 2020 entitled “Europe’s Children of ISIS”35,” , which
included interviews with women and children and camp officials, and this
series of reports encouraged the return of children to their countries of origin stressing the necessity of this matter.
Some countries have reportedly brought back only children without
their mothers and handing them over to the respective authorities in their
countries. According to reports by “FRANCE 24” children between the ages
of two to 17 years old were brought to Australia36, as well as in Belgium37,
where Six orphans were recovered, according to a report by “Euronews”.
As noted through previous reports from 2015 to 2020, media outlets shed
light disproportionally on the children of foreign fighters, who possess identity papers belonging to the country of their fathers383940,while the issue of
children born in Syria to unidentified fathers has not received the needed
attention. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle
Bachelet called for the return of the children of fighters at the opening of
the fourth session of the Human Rights Council: “Children, in particular,
have suffered grievous violations of their rights including those who may
have been indoctrinated or recruited by ISIS to perpetrate violent acts41. It
was also mentioned in Bachelet’s speech that there is a necessity for granting children the nationality of their fathers. “States must assume responsibility for their nationals” and should not inflict the “irresponsible cruelty”42
on fighters’ children who have already suffered so much” without reference
to the consequences of leaving these children stateless and depriving them
of their most basic rights.
On the other hand, some media timidly mentioned the problem of statelessness in Syria in a press report in 201543,”Al-Arab” newspaper published
34
UN News-‘Foreign children’ in overwhelmed Syrian camp need urgent international help,
says top UN official- 2018
35
Euro news Exclusive: Europe’s Children of ISIS- Anelise Borges- 2020
36
`france 24- Australian Prime Minister Announces Directed by children from a camp Jihadists in Syria
37
Euro News - Six Belgian orphans of Islamic State fighters taken in by Belgium- Alice Tidey
38
Women and Children First: Repatriating the Westerners Affiliated with ISIS
39
The Washington Post- The world must do something about the children of ISIS fighters- Editorial Board
40
The Newyork Times- Western Countries Leave Children of ISIS in Syrian Camps- Ben Hubbard and Constant Méheut
41
France 24- UN human rights chief calls for IS group families to be repatriated
42
Ibid - France 24- UN human rights chief calls for IS group families to be repatriated
43
Alarab- Children without a nationality: the suffering of the present and the loss of the future
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