Families of Moroccan Women and Children Held in Syria Demand Government Action for Repatriation

Wr: Aya Azz, Tr: Ahmed Seif EL-Din

Families of Moroccan women who have been held captive for years in the al-Hol camp in northern Syria, under the authority of the self-administration of northern and eastern Syria “QSD,” have renewed their calls for the Moroccan government to work towards repatriating them. The “National Coordination of Families of Detainees and Hostages in Syria and Iraq” has held the Moroccan government responsible for the dire conditions experienced by these women and their children, resulting from what it describes as its failure to resolve the issue of detainees and hostages.

In a statement, the Coordination warned of the danger of Moroccan children becoming saturated with ISIS ideology inside the camp. The Coordination estimated that there were 554 Moroccan women with their children in the al-Hol camp. Recent statistics from the National Coordination of Families of Detainees and Hostages in Syria and Iraq revealed that there were 132 men, 101 women, 290 children with their mothers, and 31 orphaned children, all of whom hold Moroccan citizenship, and are distributed between the al-Hol camp and the prisons under the self-administration.

The Coordination confirmed that the majority of the women travelled with their husbands and not with the intention of participating in combat.

According to “Bassam S,” one of the workers at the al-Hol camp, the self-administration has been trying to get rid of the Moroccan women for years due to the crises they face on a daily basis, and their desire to return to their country. However, the Moroccan government refuses to repatriate them out of fear of terrorism spreading.

He confirmed in a statement to “Al Marjaa” that the QSD constantly separates children from their mothers to protect them from extremist ideology, especially girls, whom mothers forcibly marry upon reaching puberty. This is extremely dangerous, particularly since they are minors.

Moroccan lawyer Ghofran Ali says that ISIS women want to return to Morocco and be tried, as this could at least ensure greater safety for their lives. He confirmed in a statement to “Al Marjaa” that ultimately cases will be filed against the Moroccan government for procrastinating on repatriating them to the country.

In 2020, the Moroccan Parliament established a fact-finding committee to investigate the conditions of those stranded in Syria and Iraq.