European States’ Obligations to Repatriate the Children Detained in Camps in Northeast Syria children, out of which more than 640 are children.44 France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK are among the major European countries of origin. 45 Monolithic depictions of the children in the camps fail to reflect their multifaceted experiences. Their age, level of maturity, commitment to ISIS ideology, training and engagement in ISIS activities varies. 46 Many of the children in the camps are reported to have been born inside ISIS territory. For instance, an estimated 70 percent of all Belgian children in the camps were born inside the territory.47 Reportedly half of the Dutch and French children in the camps were under five years old in 2018.48 While older children’s affiliation to ISIS may be tied to the motivations of their guardians, some of them are likely to have been psychologically indoctrinated and physically trained. It is possible that some participated in acts of violence and abuse. 49 Nevertheless, the idea that they exercised individual agency and informed consent in supporting or conducting violence is highly questionable and they should be considered primarily as victims (see Section II.J. below on the Right of Child Victims of Armed Conflict to Reintegration and Recovery). 50 In the camps, the indoctrination of some children is ongoing.51 In al-Hol, for example, children have appeared in videos chanting ISIS slogans and praising the group’s flag.52 Security experts have described the camps as 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 13 Ibid. Thomas Renard and Rik Coolsaet, “From Bad to Worse: The Fate of European Foreign Fighters and Families Detained in Syria, One Year After the Turkish Offensive,” 2020, p. 5. Ibid. Joana Cook and Gina Vale, “From Daesh to ‘Diaspora’: Tracing the Women and Minors of Islamic State”, 2018, pp. 30-34. Ibid. Ibid. UNSCR, “Letter dated 18 February 2015 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism addressed to the President of the Security Council,” S/2015/123, 23 February 2015, para. 14. For an analysis of how children’s responsibilities within ISIS differed based on their age, gender, ethnicity, nationality and other identity markers, see: Daniel Milton and Don Rassler, “Minor Misery: What an Islamic State Registry Says About the Challenges of Minors in the Conflict Zone”, Combating Terrorism Center, 2019. Joana Cook and Gina Vale, “From Daesh to ‘Diaspora’: Tracing the Women and Minors of Islamic State,” 2018, pp. 30-31. Gina Vale, “Women in Islamic State: From Caliphate to Camps”, ICCT Policy Brief, October 2019, p. 6; Liesbeth van der Heide Jip Geenen, “Children of the Caliphate - Young IS Returnees and the Reintegration Challenge”, ICCT Research Paper, August 2017. Center for Global Policy “The Children of ISIS Detainees: Europe’s Dilemma”, Policy Brief, June 2020, p. 8.