Russia repatriates 20 orphans from al-Hol

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Russia repatriated 20 orphans from al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Rojava) on Saturday, Kurdish and Russian officials  have confirmed.

“Today, 3 July 2021, the Autonomous Administration handed over 20 Russian orphaned children from ISIS families to the Russian Federation after signing an official repatriation document between both sides,” tweeted  Rojava's Foreign Relations Co-Chair Abdulkarim Omar.

The decision was also confirmed in a press conference by Russia’s Deputy Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Larisa Nikolaevna, who said Moscow will continue to cooperate with Rojava officials “so that we can return every child in this camp to our country.”

The vast majority of people in al-Hol are women and children linked to the Islamic State (ISIS). While conditions at the camp have often drawn alarm, a spike in murders since the beginning of the year has renewed calls for foreign children to be repatriated.

Rojava's authorities have urged countries to take their nationals home for years, but few have heeded the call. Most only repatriate children on a case-by case basis. 

In March, Belgium announced it would repatriate all children under the age of 14 due to the deteriorating security situation in the camp.

Countries in central Asia have repatriated more of their nationals than other states. 

Russia repatriated 34 children from the camp in April, soon followed by Uzbekistan, which took back nearly 1,00 women and children. 

Russia repatriated 144 children in 2020, according to a December statement from the Commission for the Rights of the Child.