The documents for 108 Russian children are ready for their return from Syria to Russia. Anna Kuznetsova, Children's Rights Commissioner for the President of the Russian Federation, said this at a meeting with relatives of underage Russian citizens living in refugee camps, shelters and prisons in areas of armed conflict.
"Currently, in cooperation with specialized agencies, documents have been prepared for the return to their homeland of another 108 children staying in refugee camps, prisons and shelters in the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. The results of DNA tests and court decisions on the recognition of the births of children who are Russian citizens outside Russia are expected to arrive," the ombudsman's press service quoted her as saying on Tuesday.
Kuznetsova said that another special flight for children to Syria is planned in the near future. "We collect information literally bit by bit both in Russia and during trips to the Middle East. We do everything we can to return the children to their families as soon as possible," she said.
In addition, it is reported that during the meeting Kuznetsova accepted new appeals from relatives. "In response to the meeting participants' offer of help, the commissioner for children's rights recommended reporting any information that would allow establishing the location of wanted children," noted in the press service.
In the summer of 2017, Russia began systematic work to locate and return to their home country underage Russian citizens who are in Iraq and Syria. It is organized and carried out by order of the President of the Russian Federation. Only in 2020, 144 children were returned to Russia from Syria, all of whom were handed over to relatives. Since 2018, 318 children have been returned to their homeland from Syria and Iraq.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from TASS