Russia repatriates 34 children from al-Hol camp

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Russia has repatriated 34 children held at a camp for Islamic State (ISIS) linked detainees in northeast Syria (Rojava), according to a children's rights agency linked to the Russian presidency.

The Russian children, all of whom had been living at al-Hol camp, were flown home from the city of Qamishli, according to a statement from Anna Kuznetsova, Commissioner for the Rights of the Child released on Sunday.

The repatriations are the first of this year by Russia.

The flight from northeast Syria to Moscow had been postponed several times due to the "difficult situation" at the camp, the statement read. 

A Russian team have also identified 12 Russian children living at Roj camp, it added.

Al-Hol camp, whose conditions have been condemned by human rights groups, has seen a spike in murders since the beginning of 2021. Most recently, an Iraqi refugee was found dead at al-Hol on Saturday -- the first murder at the camp since Rojava's security forces conducted a large-scale operation at the beginning of this month to root out ISIS sleeper cells, arresting more than 100 people.

Over 30,000 foreign nationals are held at al-Hol camp.

Rojava's authorities have for years urged countries to take their nationals home, but few have heeded the call. The United Nations and human rights groups have condemned countries for failing to take back their nationals. 

Countries in Central Asia have proved to be exceptions. Uzbekistan repatriated 93 people, including 75 children, earlier this month.

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

Most of the foreign nationals at al-Hol camp are Iraqi. Baghdad will take back 2,500 people from the camp in the coming days, a senior official in Rojava told Rudaw English on Wednesday.