Senior Investigative Reporter
shaliza.hassanali@guardian.co.tt
The Syrian authorities are still awaiting word from the T&T Government to repatriate 90 ISIS-affiliated T&T nationals who have been imprisoned in detention camps and jails in Northeast Syria for more than five years.
During a recent webinar, the head of the Internal Displaced Persons (IDP) and refugee office for the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria Dr Sheikhmus Ahmed appealed to the T&T Government to communicate with them to repatriate their nationals, 20 of whom are children detained in poor living conditions in the Al-Hol and Roj camps.
Some of these children who are now adults have been described as “ticking time bombs.”
The webinar entitled Homeward Bound: Navigating Repatriation and Reintegration of Returnees from Syria had a powerful line-up of speakers, among them Letta Tayler, Human Rights Watch associate director, Dr Timothy Affonso, deputy dean and lecturer at the Faculty of Law, UWI, St Augustine campus and international criminal lawyer from T&T Sareta Ashraph.
In January, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said no T&T national in Syria had been repatriated to date, giving the assurance that efforts to do so are ongoing.
Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne also stated that while the issue of repatriation has been engaging Government’s attention, it’s not a matter that can be treated overnight, as there is a national security element to consider.
Last March, Rowley established a three-man repatriation committee headed by Nizam Mohammed to advise and develop a legislative and policy framework to facilitate and execute the repatriation of nationals in the conflict zone.
In his address, Ahmed, who supervises the administration of Rojava’s IDP, admitted that his organisation had reached out to the countries whose nationals were arrested and detained for illegally entering Northeast Syria to join ISIS.
“We call for all international communities to come to take their nationals from Northeast Syria. And anyone or any country who wants to take their nationals from Northeast Syria, they can communicate with us,” he urged.
As of June 2023, more than 14 countries have repatriated over 2,000 of their nationals from the war-torn country.
Ahmed said if the T&T Government wants, they could send a special email or a representative to assist.
“And of course, in response to any request. We are open to receiving them. And they can send their delegation to receive their citizens,” he added.
Ahmed said the United States administration has been working with “the global coalition” to conduct trials against ISIS prisoners who committed crimes while attempts were made to rehabilitate the children and women who are in the camps.
He said rehabilitation was not a final solution.
“We will continue to communicate with the Trinidad and Tobago government. And in the end, we hope they can communicate with us.”
With the United States Administration, Ahmed said he hoped for a national solution as some countries have failed to take responsibility for their citizens in Syria.
“There are countries who ignore them.”
Others have been repatriating only some of their citizens.
“The number is large and there is a need for a national solution.”
Risk of human trafficking high
Ashraph who specialises in international criminal, humanitarian and human rights law spoke about the plight of women, men and children becoming trafficked victims in Syria.
Under international human rights law, Ashraph said it was important that trafficked victims are identified early to ensure their rights and to prevent further re-traumatisation.
She stated that the Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) requires all duty bearers to establish procedures to identify possible victims of trafficking, including those suspected of association with or returning from territories under the control of the Islamic State.
“Countries who have nationals or permanent residents in Northeast Syria, such as Trinidad and Tobago also have an obligation to identify victims of trafficking, including a victim where persons were trafficked from their home countries for example, through online recruitment or were taken over by people who were de facto recruiters and to repatriate them if they wish to return.”
Ashraph explained that once boys become teenagers, they are placed in prison with adult males and trafficked.
ISIS, she said, systematically recruited children as young as eight years old to participate in hostilities, suicide missions and combat roles.
Children are also put in terrorist groups.
“Often they are excluded from repatriation policies without an assessment of whether they have been trafficked.”
These issues are seldom raised in the camps, Ashraph said, while countries are not fulfilling their obligations to protect children from trafficking.
Last month, she said a Yazidi woman and her children had to be rescued from the Al-Hol camp.
“They had been captured by ISIL in an August 2014 attack on Sinjar (in Iraq) and entered into a system of enslavement including sexual enslavement.”
She said some women were brought into the camps by coercive or deceptive means.
“It is very unusual for them to be recognised as trafficking victims.”
In some cases, they are threatened or too fearful to make themselves known to the Kurdish forces in charge of the camps.
“We saw for example the trafficking of women and girls for the purpose of forced marriage and trafficking of boys to train and to fight as soldiers.”
In some cases, Ashraph said, there were instances of Trinidadian women and children entering Syria through deception.
Others went willingly and then proceeded to enter the system of trafficking.
There were multiple ways the Islamic State trafficked people one of which was to confine girls and women in guest houses or lock them in detention centres until they agreed to marry someone from a list provided.
The centres, Ashraph said, always have armed guards.
She said men would visit the camps and scout for women to marry.
“And then it was only if they agreed to marry him, they could get out.”
Ashraph said it is well recognised in human rights law that forced marriage is recognised as a slavery-like practice which is a form of exploitation.
If the man dies, she said, the girl or woman is returned to the detention centre to go through the system again because the Islamic State view single women as a threat to societal order.
“We also see patterns of forced marriage of girls between 12 and 16 years.”
Ashraph said some countries made a decision not to repatriate boys over the age of 15.