Six Canadian children have returned from Syria, Global Affairs Canada said.
“The Government of Canada has taken the unusual step of repatriating six Canadian children from northeastern Syria,” the statement said.
“The focus now is on protecting the children’s privacy and ensuring they receive the support and care they need to start a new life here in Canada.”
A separate statement issued by U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the children were brought back from Syria as part of the U.S. operation to repatriate 11 of its nationals, as well as Canadians, Dutch nationals, and Finns.
Canadian lawyer Lawrence Greenspon told CBC News that he was informed by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) that the children were transferred to Canada overnight and that all six have now arrived in Montreal. admitted.
Mr Greenspon said families had been identified to care for the six children and that Clinique de Polarization was present at their arrival.
Greenspon told CBC News in June that the children’s mother was not allowed to return to Canada because she failed a security test.
green spon The government said it told him. Authorities decided not to deport the woman, saying she was “adherent to extreme ideological beliefs” and could pose a danger to the public. He said the government had not provided details on how it reached its decision.
“There is no indication of the depth of the assessment, what was considered, or how this conclusion was reached,” he said.
State authorities assist with resettlement
Approximately 30,000 people from more than 60 countries remain in Syria’s al-Hol and Loj camps for displaced persons, most of them children, according to Blinken’s statement detailing repatriation efforts.
“As governments work to repatriate their nationals, we ask for consideration and flexibility to preserve the family unit as much as possible,” Blinken said in a statement.
GAC said it is working with state authorities, NGOs, child welfare services and local shelters to facilitate admission, housing and other support services for children.
“We also appreciate the United States’ support for the repatriation of Canadians and their invaluable assistance throughout this process,” the GAC statement said.
Alex Neave, a Canadian human rights lawyer and former executive director of Amnesty International Canada, reacted to the news on social media platform “This is also a clear missed opportunity to ensure the health of the United States and its people.” The mothers are being repatriated from northeastern Syria.
Alexandra Bain of Families Against Violent Extremism, an organization that has advocated for the return of the children and their mothers along with all Canadians held in northeastern Syria, welcomed the news.
“We are pleased that these innocent children have finally been returned to Canada, and we will continue to advocate for the immediate return of their mothers,” she told CBC News via email.
Bain said her group is campaigning for the return of “the remaining Canadian children in detention centers (children of non-Canadian mothers) and the few remaining Canadian men in prison.” He said he would continue.
Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly told reporters on Tuesday that she would not comment further on the matter as the children were already suffering the hardships of being held in concentration camps.
“These children have been through a very difficult situation,” Jolie said. “I was so obsessed with the children in the camps in northeastern Syria.”