Belgium repatriating orphans from Kurdish custody in Syria

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — With the help of Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, Belgium is in the process of repatriating around half-a-dozen orphans born to parents of suspected Islamic State (ISIS) members from the European country.

“At the request of the Belgium Government, the self-administration of North and East Syria [NES] handed over five orphaned Belgian children from ISIS families to a delegation from the Belgium Ministry of foreign Affairs in the town of Ain Issa on June 13,” Abdulkarim Omar, the co-chair of NES Foreign Relations Department, tweeted on Thursday.

A Belgian delegation, headed by the deputy head of the country’s mission to Iraq, Sophie Karlshausen, was welcomed by the authorities in northeast Syria (known by Kurds as Rojava). A two-hour meeting took place, according to Hawar News — an outlet close to the Kurdish-dominated NES.

“Belgium is of course very aware of the huge sacrifices that the Kurdish authorities of northeastern Syria have done in the fight against Daesh and terrorism. We understand as well the burden and the many challenges of the humanitarian situation … at this moment,” Karlshausen told reporters in a press conference, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.

“And in this context, we have discussed in particular the fate of the children in the camps as my government has decided to bring back six Belgian children from the camps to Belgium,” she added.

The NES detailed that the Belgian delegation had revealed they would provide direct humanitarian support more directly in the future and more swiftly.

Any help provided to the Kurdish officials is much needed. There are approximately 74,000 people in al-Hol camp. This is more than the camp can take, and thus residents are faring through very hopeless conditions.

The Belgian delegation also expressed support for growing suggestions to establish an international tribunal in Syria for ISIS members.

“The Belgian delegation clarified that this matter is of utmost importance, and that they agree with the self-administration on principle in forming this court,” the NES statement added, saying the delegation will take the suggestion back to the Belgian government as well.

Belgian FM Didier Reynders told reporters on Wednesday in Belgium that he hoped the transfer would occur "in the coming days or weeks," according to Het Laatste Nieuws (HLN), a Belgian daily newspaper.

He also noted that Belgium, in principle, has "memorandum of understanding" with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to repatriate the children, specifically mentioning the Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s capital of Erbil.

The KRG was not able to immediately confirm the agreement to Rudaw English. HLN added the deal refers to children up to 12 years old with a priority given to orphans.

"We will proceed like countries have done," said Reynders. "Defense can offer logistical support."

HLN reported some of the children suffer from chronic diseases such as asthma and epilepsy, for which they lack medication.

The issue of foreign fighters, their families and children is a pressing matter for the Kurdish officials in Syria who say they cannot handle the pressure due to lack of resources in camps.

Moreover, Rojava is not a recognized entity internationally, and thus its court proceedings might not be recognized. Some European countries also disagree with the swift decisions of Iraqi courts which have handed out death sentences to alleged ISIS members.

The issue is compounded by the fact that some countries have refused to take back their citizens, mainly from the fear of not being able to successfully prosecute them due to the difficulties of obtaining evidence from a war zone.

Belgium is not the only European country to have repatriated its orphaned children. 

France has repatriated at least 15 orphans, as recently as on June 9. The Netherlands has also taken two orphaned children from camps in Syria. Norway took steps on June 2 to repatriate five children. Seven Swedish children were reunited with their grandfather in Erbil in May.