France returns 40 children, 15 women from Syria

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, France said it repatriated 40 children and 15 women of French nationalities from Kurdish-run camps in northeastern Syria.

According to the foreign ministry, the children were handed over to the childcare services and will have medical and social follow-ups. At the same time, the women would be transferred to the judicial authorities.

“France expresses its thanks to local authorities... for their cooperation which has made this operation possible,” the ministry added.

Last month, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Paris must “re-examine repatriation requests from two French women who traveled to Syria with their partners to join Islamic State. The requests were also for the children they gave birth to there.” Reuters said.

The French citizens were among more than 40,000 foreign nationals, most of them Iraqis, in detention, according to Human Rights Watch.

According to earlier estimates by rights groups, some women and children likely remain in the camp after Thursday’s repatriation operation, which followed a similar mission in July.