The dawn of an uncertain new era in Syria after the fall of the Assad regime intensifies the urgency of resolving a long-simmering issue: the fate of the alleged Islamic State affiliates and their family members, including children, who have languished in massive, crowded, unlawful detention camps and makeshift prisons in northeastern Syria for six years or more years. The West and other States have a particular responsibility for their approximately 8,500 children and women stranded there who are from countries other than Syria and Iraq. The Syrian regime’s collapse is opening opportunities to remove previous barriers and re-establish diplomatic channels, so there are now no justifiable reasons for States such as Sweden, Tunisia, Australia, and others to continue delaying repatriating their citizens and their families. It is a matter not only of justice, law, and human dignity, but also an obligation to relieve Syrians of this war legacy as they rebuild their society.
States Must Take Responsibility for IS-Affiliated Prisoners, Families
