I. THE CAMPS IN NORTH EAST SYRIA 16. Since 2012, much of North East Syria has been autonomously controlled, having achieved de facto independence from the Syrian Arab Republic in the context of the long-running Syrian Civil War. The de facto autonomous region is typically known as the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (‘AANES’), but enjoys no official diplomatic recognition.1 The AANES claims to be a secular and multi-ethnic democratic republic, but in practice the region and its politics are dominated by the Kurdish ethnic group, and the AANES’ military force, the SDF, is led by the mostly-Kurdish militia the People’s Protection Units (‘YPG’). Accordingly, the administration often uses the term Rojava, a term used by Kurdish nationalists to mean Western Kurdistan. Almost half the children (of all nationalities) living in the camps are under the age of 5 and the majority are younger than 12. More than 500 children are orphaned or otherwise unaccompanied. 17. The al Hol and Roj detention camps in the Al Hasakah Governorate close to the border with Iraq are administered by the officials of the AANES while day-to-day operations are carried out by Blumont, a humanitarian organisation.2 These camps house more than 70,000 individuals, mostly Syrian and Iraqi nationals, who lived in areas previously controlled by ISIL.3 Up to 94%are women or children.4 Some 11,000 foreign nationals are also detained, including approximately 640 children and 230 women from the UK/EU across the two camps. Almost half the children (of all nationalities) living in the camps are under the age of 5 and the majority are younger than 12. More than 500 children are orphaned or otherwise unaccompanied. Children and women in al Hol camp 11 RIGHTS & SECURITY INTERNATIONAL