Children from ISIS families in Camps and Rehabilitation Centers.. Risks, Problematics, and Containment Approaches

Available in Arabic

The issue of children, who have been evacuated from the areas under ISIS control in Syria, represents a great challenge for the local and international community. It involves numerous humanitarian, legal, security, and political complexities, in addition to the risks posed by their continued presence in camps, where an environment conducive to the spread of extremist ideology and crimes exists.

Despite more than five years passing since the geographical defeat of ISIS, the fate of over 32,000 children, along with their mothers, remains uncertain in the camps of al-Hol and Roj and rehabilitation centers. Their risks continue to grow both locally and regionally, while the children themselves face imminent danger.

Many women affiliated with ISIS, especially “migrants,” persist in strategizing to turn the al-Hol camp into a “mini-state” for ISIS. They aim to increase the population through childbirth and indoctrinate children in efforts to revive the organization, using various means, the most dangerous of which is raising a new generation as the “future army of ISIS.”

increasing risks on both local and international levels on one hand, and on the children themselves on the other hand.

The problem of the Study

The problem of the study lies in uncovering the dimensions of the risks of the children from ISIS families issue, whose numbers and extremism are increasing within detention camps, where they are exposed to an environment conducive to indoctrination, making them potential time bombs. The research aims to identify the major problematics and complexities of this matter and assess the response of the international community, particularly concerning the repatriation of non-Iraqi and non-Syrian families and children to their countries of origin. Additionally, it seeks to evaluate the level of risks posed by Syrian and Iraqi children from ISIS-affiliated families to the region, amid the lack of attention to their rehabilitation.

As such, the problem of the study can be summarized by the following main question: “What are the risks and issues raised by the matter of Children from ISIS families in camps and rehabilitation centers in North-East Syria?”

To address this problem, the study will explore the significant factors and causes that have exacerbated this issue by answering the following sub-questions:

• What are the factors and causes that contributed to the increased danger of Children from ISIS families?
• To what extent do the conditions in the camps contribute to the risks posed by these children to the region on one hand and to the children themselves, as victims of terrorism, on the other hand?
• Is ISIS attempting to revive the “caliphate” by preparing a new generation of children whose numbers are growing in the camps?
• Does the responsibility of the international coalition in combating ISIS extend beyond military and geographical defeat to addressing the aftermath of ISIS, particularly the issue of thousands of children in camps and rehabilitation centers?
• Has the failure of the concerned states to take responsibility for repatriating their citizens from ISIS-affiliated families led to the escalation of these risks and complicated their resolution?
• What existing solutions are there to mitigate the risks related to Children from ISIS families, and are they sufficient and effective, or do the risks continue to persist and become more complex day by day?

The Importance of the Study

The significance of this study lies in shedding light on various obscure aspects of the issue of Children from ISIS families, its complexities, and studying the risks from all angles. It also aims to reveal the major problematic aspects of this matter, including “security, social, psychological, and legal” aspects, among others. Additionally, the study seeks to analyze the reasons behind these problematic aspects and their consequences to propose appropriate solutions for this issue.

Objectives

– Investigate the main problematic aspects of the issue of Children from ISIS families in the al-Hol and Roj camps and rehabilitation centers in North-East Syria.

– Identify the risks that these children may pose to local and international communities.

– Identify the prominent risks that these children face as victims of war and terrorism.

– Propose a number of recommendations and possible solutions to address the issue of Children from ISIS families.