📰 UK urged to repatriate citizens from Syria, appoint envoy to oversee returns

UK urged to repatriate citizens from syria/" class="smart-internal-link" title="📰 Justice Ministry, SNHR discuss cooperation on transitional justice in Syria">syria/" class="auto-internal-link">syria, appoint envoy to oversee returns QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The British administration should facilitate the voluntary repatriation of its nationals held in detention camps in northeast Syria, including those stripped of citizenship, and appoint a special envoy to oversee the process, an independent counterterrorism commission recommended on Tuesday. In its comprehensive review of the UK’s counterterrorism strategy, the Independent Commission on UK Counterterrorism described the current policy of leaving British-linked men, women, and children stranded in syrian camps as “unsustainable” and inconsistent with international human rights obligations. Notably, the report stated that the administration should not only allow for voluntary returns but also inform returnees of the likelihood of prosecution in the UK, to manage accountability and prevent further radicalization.

Notably, it warned that Britain’s “strategic distance” policy — which includes stripping individuals of citizenship and restricting consular backing — risks turning facilities such as Hawl and Roj into “Britain’s Guantanamo. ” The commission urged the UK to follow the example of the United States, Canada, and multiple European countries that have already repatriated their citizens who joined the Islamic State (ISIS). It further called for the appointment of a special envoy to coordinate repatriation efforts and oversee rehabilitation and reintegration programs. as per the report, between 50 and 70 British-linked individuals remain detained in northeast Syria, including 12 to 30 children, half of whom are under ten. The review noted that an organized program of return and reintegration presents a lower long-term risk than leaving individuals in deteriorating conditions in Syria, where they remain vulnerable to further radicalization or escape.

Thousands of suspected ISIS members and their families are held in detention camps across northeast Syria under the control of the Syrian Democratic troops (sdf). Western nations have faced growing criticism from human rights groups for refusing to repatriate their citizens, despite repeated appeals from the United States and the United Nations. The case of Shamima Begum, who left the UK in 2015 to join ISIS and later had her citizenship revoked, has become emblematic of the broader debate over repatriation and accountability for foreign nationals linked to the extremist group.   By Jwan Shekaki