US repatriates 11 Americans, six Canadians from Syria

The US has repatriated 11 of its citizens and six Canadian children from camps successful north-eastern Syria, the authorities section announced.

Ten of the US citizens are reportedly members of a azygous family. The six Canadians are each children.

Four Dutch citizens and a Finnish national were besides repatriated by the authorities department, it says.

About 30,000 radical from 60 countries - astir of them children - stay stranded successful 2 overcrowded camps successful Syria.

The camps, Al-Hol and Roj, are tally by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which battled the Islamic State radical for years until the autumn of its alleged caliphate successful aboriginal 2019.

In a connection connected Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was the azygous largest repatriation of American citizens from camps successful Syria to date.

A nine-year-old non-US national sibling of 1 of the American children was besides resettled successful the US, the connection added.

While the Americans were not named by the authorities department, US media person identified 1 of them arsenic a Massachusetts-born woman, Brandy Salman, and her 9 children present ranging successful property from astir 7 to 26.

They arrived backmost successful the US connected Tuesday greeting and Ms Salman volition unrecorded initially with her parent successful New Hampshire, according to National Public Radio.

Ms Salman's Turkish-American hubby reportedly took the household to Syria successful 2016. He was killed and the household was yet taken into custody by the SDF.

It is unclear wherever Ms Salman and her household volition beryllium resettled, oregon whether she could look transgression charges.

Some different US citizens who allegedly became members of the Islamic State radical person faced charges of conspiracy to supply worldly enactment to terrorism, among different charges. Others person not been charged.

The New York Times has reported that 2 of the children being brought to the US - an American and his non-citizen adopted member - are the sons of a Minnesota antheral named Abdelhamid Al-Madioum.

Al-Madioum - a Moroccan-born American - travelled to Syria to articulation the Islamic State radical successful 2015.

After being captured by the SDF successful 2019, helium was returned to Minnesota. In 2021, helium pleaded blameworthy to charges of supporting terrorism.

To date, the US has repatriated 51 of its citizens from Syria.

While Global Affairs Canada has acknowledged that six of its citizens, each minors, had been repatriated, it declined to springiness immoderate further details, citing privateness concerns.

"The absorption is present connected protecting the children's privateness and ensuring they person the enactment and attraction needed to statesman a caller beingness present successful Canada," Global Affairs said successful a statement.

A Canadian lawyer moving connected their file, Lawrence Greenspon, told the BBC connected Tuesday that the six are siblings and person been settled unneurotic with 1 household successful Canada for the clip being.

Last year, Canada offered to repatriate the six children without their mother, which she refused.

Mr Greenspon said their parent is present retired of the Islamic State campy successful north-eastern Syria wherever she was astatine the clip and is again seeking authorisation to instrumentality to Canada to beryllium reunited with her children.

About 30,000 radical from dozens of countries stay successful the Al-Hol and Roj camps, wherever quality rights groups person reported abuses and mediocre conditions.

Others person warned that children raised successful the camps are susceptible to radicalisation from Islamic State militants.

Some countries, however, person resisted repatriating their citizens.

"The lone durable solution to the humanitarian and information situation successful the displaced persons camps and detention facilities successful north-east Syria is for countries to repatriate, rehabilitate, reintegrate and, wherever appropriate, guarantee accountability for wrongdoing," Mr Blinken said successful Tuesday's statement.