the camps from causes including war wounds to the head. RSI has also documented instances of children being killed, sexually abused and unaccompanied minors going missing. Women are subject to physical punishment and solitary confinement for months at a time. Sometimes children are placed in solitary confinement with their mothers; at other times children are left alone in the tents to fend for themselves. 3. The Dutch Government has the sole ability to end the arbitrary detention of their nationals. The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (‘AANES’) has made repeated requests for foreign States to repatriate their nationals and has made clear that they will not release Dutch nationals unless and until the Netherlands repatriates them. 4. The Dutch Government’s policy on repatriation of its nationals detained in al Hol or Roj camp currently consist of not providing consular support to its nationals in Syria, with the possibility of making an exception for “the left behind children of deceased Dutch fighters”. To date, the Netherlands has repatriated two children from the camps with the aid of France on 10 June 2019. 5. Contrary to what has been stated by some Dutch politicians, repatriation of all their nationals from al Hol and Roj camps is logistically possible and does not pose an insurmountable safety risk to Dutch officials. This is evidenced by the fact that some repatriations have already been carried out both by the Netherlands and other foreign States, including throughout the pandemic. RSI’s research has revealed that the Netherlands, like a number of European States, has had a presence on the ground in the camps (diplomatic, intelligence, and/or military). The Netherlands has an ongoing relationship with the AANES as part of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS. Additionally, the US maintains that it is willing to facilitate repatriation efforts. 6. To date, the Netherlands has deprived one woman of her citizenship. On 20 November 2020, the Dutch Government responded to say, in summary: 54 1. The Dutch Government is unable to provide consular assistance to Dutch citizens as they do not have any form of diplomatic representation in Syria. The Dutch Government is reluctant to enter into contact with the SDF because of its ties with the PKK, an organisation listed on the EU terrorism list. 2. The Dutch Government does not actively repatriate Dutch foreign terrorist fighters or their families from North East Syria on the basis that the security situation is highly unstable and unsafe, and repatriation of foreign terrorist fighters could have adverse consequences for both the Netherlands’ national security and the security of its Schengen partners. However, if a Dutch foreign terrorist fighter reaches a Dutch diplomatic representation in the region, he or she can request consular assistance and will be escorted back to the Netherlands to face trial. RIGHTS & SECURITY INTERNATIONAL