Canada to repatriate 6 women and 13 children from Syria: Report
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Alaina
- . January 21, 2023
- . Update: January 21, 2023 7:05 pm
The Canadian government is set to repatriate 6 women and 13 infants who have been held at detention camps in northeast Syria, according to a CBC report.
The detainees are being held in a camp for family members of Daesh Group fighters, according to Ottawa. The Canadians are among the many foreign nationals detained in camps in the northeastern part of the country.
This comes after the women went to court to force the Canadian government to bring them home under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
On Friday, Canada’s foreign ministry said it had reached a “mutually acceptable resolution” to bring back those children and women. Around four Canadian men were also seeking repatriation. In a ruling on Friday, Federal Court Justice Henry Brown effectively directed Ottawa to request the repatriation of the four Canadian men detained in camps in Syria.
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Lawyer Lawrence Greenspon said that the applications from the six women and 13 children were discontinued after the government arranged their return. The lawyer said that the newly reached agreement with the government was confidential.
Global Affairs Canada, the foreign ministry, reportedly said, “The safety and security of Canadians is our government’s top priority.”
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), around 30 Canadian citizens, including 10 children, are in the camps in Syria. Farida Deif, director of Human Rights Watch in Canada, said that the Canadian government lacked the political will to repatriate anyone with suspected ISIS ties.
Canada has repeatedly said it cannot provide consular and other support throughout Syria because of the lack of a physical presence in the country. However, the government in Canada said that the authorities would work efficiently to deliver consular services to Syria.
In October 2022, Canada brought back two women and two children from Syria. In 2020, the Canadian government brought back a five-year-old orphan girl from Syria.
