Orphans from various nationalities gather at the Kurdish-run Al Hol camp, home to thousands of relatives of Islamic State group fighters, in the Al Hasakeh governorate in northeastern Syria on January 25, 2020. AFP
Orphans from various nationalities gather at the Kurdish-run Al Hol camp, home to thousands of relatives of Islamic State group fighters, in the Al Hasakeh governorate in northeastern Syria on January 25, 2020. AFP
Orphans from various nationalities gather at the Kurdish-run Al Hol camp, home to thousands of relatives of Islamic State group fighters, in the Al Hasakeh governorate in northeastern Syria on January 25, 2020. AFP
Orphans from various nationalities gather at the Kurdish-run Al Hol camp, home to thousands of relatives of Islamic State group fighters, in the Al Hasakeh governorate in northeastern Syria on January

Tunisian families battle to repatriate children from Syria

At least 140 Tunisian children are stuck in conflict zones after their parents left to join militant groups in Syria, Iraq and Libya

Agence France Presse

July 12, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

Taheyya watched her grandchildren grow up in Syria, where her son joined an extremist group, from Tunisia on WhatsApp.

She hoped one day to be able to hold the three surviving siblings in her arms but for now they are stuck in a displacement camp.

"These are our grandchildren," Taheyya said. "All we are asking is to be able to take care of them, for them to live somewhere other than in war, poverty and ignorance."

For three years, she made the rounds of ministries and charities to try to repatriate her granddaughter, 3, and grandsons aged 5 and 6.

Their father left for Syria in 2012, where he joined ISIS and was killed.

Taheyya said the eldest grandchild needed treatment for a head injury, and two other siblings died because of a lack of medical care.

In a folder, she carefully keeps a bundle of documents that sum up their torturous lives: pixelated photos and identity papers issued by the so-called ISIS caliphate.

The children now live in a camp on the Turkish-Syrian border with their mother, a Syrian who was married at the age of 13.

A photographer holding his picture of the Arc du Triomphe (Triumph's Arch) taken on March 14, 2014 in front of the remains of the historic monument after it was destroyed by ISIS in October 2015 in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra. AFP
A photographer holding his picture of the Arc du Triomphe (Triumph's Arch) taken on March 14, 2014 in front of the remains of the historic monument after it was destroyed by ISIS in October 2015 in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra. AFP
Iraqi men look at a crater left by a massive suicide car bomb attack carried out the previous day by ISIS in the predominantly Shiite town of Khan Bani Saad, 20km north of Baghdad, on July 18, 2015. AFP
Iraqi men look at a crater left by a massive suicide car bomb attack carried out the previous day by ISIS in the predominantly Shiite town of Khan Bani Saad, 20km north of Baghdad, on July 18, 2015. AFP
A Syrian man walks past a minaret destroyed following an alleged air strikes by Syrian government forces in the ISIS controlled Syrian city of Raqqa, on November 25, 2014. AFP
A Syrian man walks past a minaret destroyed following an alleged air strikes by Syrian government forces in the ISIS controlled Syrian city of Raqqa, on November 25, 2014. AFP
Men, suspected of being affiliated with ISIS, gather in a prison cell in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh on October 26, 2019. AFP
Men, suspected of being affiliated with ISIS, gather in a prison cell in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh on October 26, 2019. AFP
A member of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stands guard in a prison where men suspected to be affiliated with ISIS are jailed in northeast Syria in the city of Hasakeh on October 26, 2019. AFP
A member of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stands guard in a prison where men suspected to be affiliated with ISIS are jailed in northeast Syria in the city of Hasakeh on October 26, 2019. AFP
A woman stands in front of a bullet riddled facade in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, the former Syrian capital of ISIS, on August 21, 2019. AFP
A woman stands in front of a bullet riddled facade in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, the former Syrian capital of ISIS, on August 21, 2019. AFP
A fighter with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) monitors on Surveillance screens, prisoners who are accused of being affiliated with ISIS, at a prison in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh on October 26, 2019. AFP
A fighter with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) monitors on Surveillance screens, prisoners who are accused of being affiliated with ISIS, at a prison in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh on October 26, 2019. AFP
A general view shows blankets hanging across the road for protection from sniper fire in the Hamidiyeh neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo as local popular committee fighters, who support the Syrian government forces, try to defend the traditionally Christian district on the third day of intense battles with ISIS on April 9, 2015. AFP
A general view shows blankets hanging across the road for protection from sniper fire in the Hamidiyeh neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo as local popular committee fighters, who support the Syrian government forces, try to defend the traditionally Christian district on the third day of intense battles with ISIS on April 9, 2015. AFP
An undated image, which appears to be a screenshot from a video and which was published by ISIS in the Homs province (Welayat Homs) on August 25, 2015, allegedly shows smoke billowing from the Baal Shamin temple in Syria's ancient city of Palmyra. AFP
An undated image, which appears to be a screenshot from a video and which was published by ISIS in the Homs province (Welayat Homs) on August 25, 2015, allegedly shows smoke billowing from the Baal Shamin temple in Syria's ancient city of Palmyra. AFP
The house of local farmer Hamad al-Ibrahim is seen destroyed in the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz on March 13, 2020, a year after the fall of ISIS. AFP
The house of local farmer Hamad al-Ibrahim is seen destroyed in the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz on March 13, 2020, a year after the fall of ISIS. AFP
A picture taken on January 13, 2020 during a press tour organised by the US-led coalition fighting the remnants of ISIS, shows a view of the damage at Ain al-Asad military airbase housing US and other foreign troops in the western Iraqi province of Anbar. AFP
A picture taken on January 13, 2020 during a press tour organised by the US-led coalition fighting the remnants of ISIS, shows a view of the damage at Ain al-Asad military airbase housing US and other foreign troops in the western Iraqi province of Anbar. AFP
A bridge that was destroyed by ISIS after they took control of the river crossing and rebuilt the bridge as US-backed Kurdish and Arab fighters advance into ISIS's bastion of Manbij, in northern Syria, on June 23, 2016. AFP
A bridge that was destroyed by ISIS after they took control of the river crossing and rebuilt the bridge as US-backed Kurdish and Arab fighters advance into ISIS's bastion of Manbij, in northern Syria, on June 23, 2016. AFP
Iraqis look at the damage at aftermath scene of a mortar and bombing attack on the Sayyid Mohammed shrine in the Balad area, located 70km (around 45 miles) north of Baghdad, on July 8, 2016. AFP
Iraqis look at the damage at aftermath scene of a mortar and bombing attack on the Sayyid Mohammed shrine in the Balad area, located 70km (around 45 miles) north of Baghdad, on July 8, 2016. AFP
Part of the remains of Arch of Triumph, also called the Monumental Arch of Palmyra, that was destroyed by ISIS in October 2015 in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, after government troops recaptured the UNESCO world heritage site. AFP
Part of the remains of Arch of Triumph, also called the Monumental Arch of Palmyra, that was destroyed by ISIS in October 2015 in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, after government troops recaptured the UNESCO world heritage site. AFP
Iraqi Kurdish and Turkmen Shiite forces sit in the northern Iraqi town of Bashir after they recaptured the town from ISIS on May 1, 2016. AFP
Iraqi Kurdish and Turkmen Shiite forces sit in the northern Iraqi town of Bashir after they recaptured the town from ISIS on May 1, 2016. AFP

Tunisians were among the largest groups of foreign militants in Syria, Iraq and Libya since 2011, with almost 3,000 leaving, Tunisian authorities say.

Like Taheyya, dozens of other families were trying to repatriate at least 140 Tunisian children stuck in conflict zones, where their parents were suspected of joining extremist groups.

The Observatory of Rights and Freedoms of Tunis, which is in contact with the families, counted 104 children in Syria, almost all of them in camps.

Three quarters were born there and were under the age of 6.

Another 36 were in Libya, detained by militias or being looked after by the Red Crescent.

While public opinion at home was hostile towards the return of the militants, President Kais Saied raised families' hopes in January by bringing back six orphans from Libya and promising to "speed up the repatriation" of the others.

But there have been no more returns since.

Taheyya's son, from a middle-class family in central Kairouan, was one of the first in his neighbourhood to leave for Syria.

A cook in the merchant navy, he survived being taken hostage by Somali pirates and later joined groups fighting the government in Syria.

He opened a restaurant in the city of Raqqa, once the capital of ISIS in Syria, and was killed in 2018 while trying to flee, his family said.

"He had asked me to take care of his children," his younger brother said.

He said he had travelled to Turkey twice but had failed to secure their return.

"We talk to them every two or three days when the network allows, but we have gone for several months without news," Taheyya said. "I have never been able to hug them."

Officials at the Tunisian Foreign Ministry said that "the will exists" for repatriations, blaming foreign authorities and the coronavirus pandemic for slowing down discussions.

The foreign affairs bureau of the Kurdish administration in north-eastern Syria denied the Tunisian government had contacted it about repatriations.

Many Tunisians were seen leaving the former ISIS bastion of Baghouz during the final battle of 2019.

They were taken to the Kurdish-run Al Hol camp, now home to thousands of ISIS wives and their children.

No specific figures were available for the number of Tunisians at Al Hol.

Fethia is also looking for her grandchildren.

Her daughter was taken to Syria in 2013 by her husband, who joined groups fighting against the government.

She was killed in a bombing in 2019, leaving two children, aged 4 and 7, in a displacement camp.

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"They don't go to school and struggle to eat. It is making me ill," Fethia said.

She said she had not received any photos of the children for two years.

"How can you sleep?" Fethia asked.

Mohammed, meanwhile, is worried about his sister and nephew.

The last information he had was that they were being held by a militia in western Libya.

Mohammed wants them to be repatriated to Tunisia, even if it means she is tried for belonging to an extremist group.

He said she had been a nurse in a Libyan hospital and had tried in vain to flee the country in 2016 after her husband become radicalised.

Mohammed said he had not had contact with her since January last year.

"She couldn't complain but she let us understand things," he said.

Mohammed said she would keep olive pits to stave off hunger and had even been driven to exchange sexual favours for food.

"These women and their children are suffering," he said. "They are victims but our elected officials are cowards."

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Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.

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