Should Swiss children be repatriated from Syrian camps?

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Reporter specialised in Swiss foreign affairs, with a side hustle as a sub-editor in the English Department. Previously my focus was on disinformation and fact-checks, which I still produce occasionally.

Deutsch

Sollte die Schweiz Jihad-Reisende aus Syrien zurückführen?
Français

Faut-il rapatrier les enfants suisses des camps syriens?

Switzerland has a policy of not actively repatriating adult detainees being held in Kurdish-controlled camps in northeastern Syria, and repatriating children only on a case-by-case basis. For the government, national security trumps the return of nationals suspected of having links to the Islamic State terror group.

Other European countries, such as Finland and Belgium, are now repatriating children, and when possible, their mothers as well. These countries believe that the long-term security risks of leaving these families in the camps are far more serious than any risk associated with repatriating them now.

What do you think? Should Switzerland repatriate Swiss children, of which there are seven, from the Syrian camps? Why or why not? Let us know your thoughts by joining the conversation below.

From the article What will happen to Swiss minors stuck in Syrian camps?

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

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Michel Baumgartner 2021-12-12 16:56

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

1. Article 24 of our 1999 Constitution, concerning freedom of establishment, stipulates in point 2 that Swiss citizens have the right to leave and return to Switzerland.
What is this fear of applying our own constitution?

2. During the Second World War, and in particular from 1945 to 1947, Switzerland was confronted with the problem of the enlistment of some 2,000 Swiss men for the Waffen-SS. It took its responsibilities. They were repatriated.
Would Switzerland be incapable of dealing with the problem of a few individuals who were in the service of an Islamic state that was far less dangerous than Nazi Germany?

1. L'article 24 de notre Constitution de 1999, concernant la liberté d'établissement, stipule au point 2 que les Suisses et les Suissesses ont le droit de quitter la Suisse et d’y rentrer.
Quelle est donc cette crainte d'appliquer notre propre constitution?

2. Durant la Seconde guerre mondiale et en particulier de 1945 à 1947, la Suisse a été confrontée au problème de l'engagement auprès de la Waffen-SS d'environ 2000 Suisses. Elle a pris ses responsabilités. Ils ont été rapatriés.
La Suisse serait-elle incapable de gérer la problématique de quelques individus qui étaient au service d'un État islamique bien moins dangereux que ne le fut l'Allemagne nazie ?

jepyerly@websud.ch 2021-12-08 09:02

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

No, this is not the right solution.

Non, ce n'est pas la bonne solution.

Lionel.Etienne 2021-06-28 20:06

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

No, unfortunately they have been brainwashed and are dangerous to society.

Non , malheureusement ils ont subi un lavage de cerveau et sont dangereux pour la société.

snowman 2021-06-16 08:49

You do not become Swiss, just because you are born in Switzerland, one of your parents have to be Swiss. If a Swiss person wants to be repatriated from abroad they certainly have to pay the cost themselves. I am not paying for it, we have to take responsibility for our actions.

Person 2021-06-09 10:44

The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

The children were kidnapped. They are the victims here as well as the family left behind in Switzerland. It would be interesting to know what therapies are available if they are returned. At this point in time, I would take the view that the chances of success of these therapies are a decisive point as to whether the children can be brought back. In the case of parents who have not only embraced such an ideology, but at the same time abducted children, I think there is no reason to do so. One should take even more preventive measures to prevent such a situation from happening in the first place.

Die Kinder wurden entführt. Sie sind die Opfer hier sowie auch die zurückgelassene Familie in der Schweiz. Es wäre interessant zu wissen, welche Therapiemöglichkeiten es bei einer Rückkehr gibt. Zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt würde ich die Ansicht vertreten, dass die Erfolgschancen dieser Therapien ein entscheidender Punkt sind, ob man die Kinder zurückholen kann. Bei Eltern, welche sich nicht nur einer solchen Ideologie zugewandt haben, sondern gleichzeitig noch Kinder entführten, gibt es meiner Ansicht nach keinen Grund dazu. Man sollte noch mehr präventive Massnahmen ergreifen, um es gar nicht erst zu einer solchen Situation kommen zu lassen.

jackie-pihoke 2021-06-01 09:32

I was born in Indonesia with Chinese and German parents. I would be deeply offended if some Swiss politician would make any claims on my children just because they were born in Switzerland.

This is also why we are leaving now and why other than the live birth documents I did not do any other documetns for them in Switzerland. They are my children, not the states !

Rafiq Tschannen 2021-05-30 13:37

If the grandparents are committing to look after the grand children why not let them?

worldtraveller 2021-05-21 10:12

The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

No! They have chosen a different life.
Those who leave the country as such should immediately lose their citizenship. Zero tolerance ! No turning back

Nein! Die haben sich für ein anderes Leben entschieden.
Wer als solcher Ausreist sollte sofort die Staatsangehörigkeit verlieren. Null Toleranz ! Kein Zurück

Anonymous 2021-05-18 09:46

The government (or any leaders) have the responsibility to rehabilitate the mental well being of the parents and the children.
Moving them around is not solving the problem at all.

jepyerly@websud.ch 2021-05-17 10:24

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

It's terrible for these kids. But they have jihadism in their genes. It is very dangerous. We must avoid what is happening in France. No one is in control of the situation. Do the parents go there to fight the Christians or to have children?

C'est terrible pour ces enfants. Mais ils ont le djihadisme dans les gènes. C'est très dangereux. Il faut éviter ce qu'il se passe en France. Personne ne maitrise la situation. Est-ce que les parents vont là-bas, pour combattre les chrétiens, ou pour faire des enfants ?

sourcilus 2021-06-09 11:00

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

@jepyerly@websud.ch

What you say makes no sense

Ce que vous dites n'a aucun sens

andrea-ulrich-namobo 2021-05-15 10:40

I'm German and I got the Swiss passport last year.
If children are to repatriated to grandparents and just skip the parents altogether, then how many Swiss people can be claimed as German by Germany and asked to be immediatelly repatriated to Germany because they have German grand or grand-grand-parents? What about England demanding their people back because 10 generations ago they started moving to the United States?

This logic the article proposes makes no sense to me.

moogly81 2021-05-13 13:55

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

I do not understand this debate. Our justice system is perfectly capable of handling these cases. They need to be repatriated. If necessary, try them.
Shame on those who advocate leaving them in Syria! They don't trust Switzerland.

Je ne comprends pas ce débat. Notre système judiciaire est parfaitement capable de gérer ces cas. Il faut les rapatrier. Si nécessaire, les juger.
Honte à ceux qui défendent de les laisser en Syrie ! Ils n’ont pas confiance en la Suisse.

Frodo 2021-05-06 21:47

Children belongs to the parents! It was a decision of the parents to have a relationship and finally children and not the decision of the government.
So if we repatriate children to Switzerland we have also to repatriate the parents to Switzerland. And that's not the best idea in all cases.

Anonymous 2021-08-02 13:36

@Frodo

Exactly. Those kids should remain with their parents and ask them in 10 years why in the world they took them out of Switzerland? For what?

rzuraikat@live.com 2021-05-06 14:35

I believe we should do everything possible to repatriate the children NOT THE MOTHER. I must admitted that I do not know the full details of the case including how the mother single handed managed to leave with children and role the father played', I think the father should be held responsible and be accountable for not preventing the mother of taken the children.

Frodo 2021-05-06 21:38

@rzuraikat@live.com

According human rights; every one has the right for a family life. This was the argumentation in the 90's to transfer later the whole family to Switzerland when a man was in Switzerland as a refugee. So when the children are here, then the whole family, even terrorists, have the right to come to Switzerland!

LoL 2021-05-11 11:54

@Frodo

Why not take it to court and make father the only legal guardian by taking mother's right due to putting her children in extremely dangerous situation, this they we can return them into the hand of their father

Anonymous 2021-05-05 17:26

It is always the children who bare the brunt of wars, isn't it so?

Anonymous 2021-08-02 13:39

@Anonymous

No, the entire population suffer the war.

Anonymous 2021-08-04 10:56

@Anonymous

But the children suffer the effects for the rest of their growing up lives.

gopeli3730 2021-05-05 11:30

So, what is Switzerland's policy on people who only hold a Swiss passport and go to a war zone on purpose to live there? Isn't that helping the terrorists?

Geraldine Wong SWI SWISSINFO.CH 2021-05-05 17:24

@gopeli3730

According to the Swiss government's 2019 policy, which is still in effect, Swiss nationals who travel for terror-related reasons should face justice in the countries where those crimes were committed. Switzerland does not actively repatriate them but if they return, they can be charged under federal law, which bans terror groups like IS and Al-Qaeda.

You can read more on returning jihadists in one of our previous stories: [url]https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/anti-terrorism_switzerland-pursues-dozens-of-cases-against-jihadi-suspects/44889046[/url].

Anonymous 2021-08-02 13:40

@Geraldine Wong

The Swiss policy is correct

gopeli3730 2021-05-05 11:30

Also, anyone in those camps who has multiple citizenship can never be counted as more than 50 percent Swiss. Their other country has an equal claim on them. Saying they are Swiss alone is a lie.

gopeli3730 2021-05-05 11:28

When a mafia organization is found guilty all the members of the crime family are guilty. It is not just the killer, but also everyone who benefited from their actions.

These are terrorists in a war zone, not 5 refugees with double citizenship who did not get a chance to run fast enough. The war has been around for many years now. They went there on purpose. They are terrorists.

MartB 2021-05-04 19:37

Who says those kids want to come back to Switzerland. Leave them there with their moms where I am sure they are already indoctrinated to hate us all and do us harm at any opportunity.

LoL 2021-05-04 12:37

I think Switzerland has a good policy about returning only children. It is a pity thous woman in camps don't agree to give their children freedom or they bet for getting an escape ticket too after all they have done, considering those girls with perfectly fine father here, the mother looks like a monster with her behaviour and willingness to be a pet of ISIS in such camps.