Al-Hol camp: Where Europe’s ISIS children are left in limbo

On Thursday, an Austrian delegation from the Ministry for European and International Affairs made a presence in the eastern parts of Syria, controlled by the Kurdish Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), to repatriate two ISIS children.

Austria is one of the European countries that seems to be reluctant to repatriate its minor nationals living in Syrian refugee camps, sharing the same attitude as other European nations such as England, France, and Sweden.

Most of the European countries refuse to receive mothers and children who reside at ISIS refugee camps in Syria, fearing they would orchestrate terrorist attacks once they are back.

After the collapse of the last stronghold of the self-declared ISIS caliphate in the Syrian village of Baghuz in 2019, hundreds of families were sent to the Al-Hol and Roj refugee detention camps.

The camps are under the control of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), where all ISIS families are living under dire conditions.

According to a report published by the organization Save the Children, there are about 7,300 minors living in both camps from 60 countries facing several dangers, including violence by ISIS sleeper cells among the camps’ residents, lack of fresh water, poor sanitation, and absence of education.

The Egmont Institute, a Brussels-based think tank, said that the Al-Hol and Roj camps host about 200 women and 650 children from 11 European countries, and most of these women are expected to do some time behind bars in case of return.

European governments see these stranded citizens as a security threat in case they returned back. Instead, they prefer them to be prosecuted before Iraqi and Syrian courts. However, an authority like AANES cannot prosecute those families, as they do not acquire the recognition of most of the international society.

European governments’ inaction to bring back those families has been met by a furious scolding from several security experts and human rights groups. An advocacy group named Reprieve said in a report published in April 2021 that women living in Al-Hol and Roj are being trafficked and forced into marriages.

A child was shot dead in February in Al-Hol camp when a clash started between the camp’s residents and the Kurdish guards, according to Child Protection Cluster, which added that about 74 children died since the arrival of ISIS families to the camp due to the poor living conditions.

American counterterrorism official Chris Harnisch said in press statements to the New York Times that European children could be radicalized inside those camps, urging Europe to take its citizens back as soon as possible.

According to Save the Children, the slow pace of the repatriation process could take up to 30 years if things do not change.