Australia and France debate repatriating ISIS children from Syria

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced that France is working to recover French children detained in Syria, while Australian Senator Kristina Keneally urged Australian Department of Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo reconsider the issue of Australian children in northeastern Syria.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian spoke about the government’s work to recover French children detained in Syria.

“For children, we will continue to take back unaccompanied minors, orphans, and those whose mothers agree to leave,” he stated.

The French minister stressed “the danger of these operations at a time when this region is still in a state of war,” and continued by saying: “I would really like to see this matter achieved, but not for adults.”

Statistics indicate that there are about 80 French women and 200 children among the detainees in camps supervised by the Democratic Autonomous Administration of northeastern Syria.

In the context of ISIS children, during a Senate hearing, Senator Christina Keneally lobbied for answers on what it would take to bring back Australian children who face precarious conditions in Syria.

Senator Keneally questioned the Home Secretary at the hearing about what Australia would need to reconsider its refusal to repatriate citizens.

She said the government had international obligations to support this cause, and that ignoring it would risk psychological and physical trauma or even the death of Australian children.

Pezzullo responded that the Ministry of the Interior maintained the policy requirements necessary to advise on the development of a plan for the release of individuals detained in Syria.

Save the Children has previously warned that children in prison are being used as human shields, according to relief web, urging the Australian government to respond.