Netherlands Grapples With its IS Problem - The Women and Children

Hat tip Ben

As we have previously reported, most Western European countries are grappling with the problem of how to handle people of their own nationality who left to join ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Many of the survivors, along with their women and children, are sitting in prison camps guarded by Kurds.

In the Netherlands, a court has just made a ruling as to how to handle 56 children and their 19 mothers, who are sitting in prison camps with Dutch nationality. It is confusing to say the least. The below article is translated from Dutch by Fousesquawk.

https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/6010176/rechtbank-staat-moet-zich-inspannen-om-56-kinderen-uit-syrie-te-halen.html

Court: State must make effort to bring 56 children back from Syria
-November 11, 2019

The Dutch state must make efforts to bring 56 children and possibly their 19 mothers out of Syria to the Netherlands. That was the ruling of the court in the Hague in a summary proceeding on Monday.

Judgment (on) taking back Islamic State children

Their mothers can only be brought back if there is no other option.
The government must  take action within 14 days
The summary proceeding was brought due to the acute danger in the camps in Syria.
The Netherlands has the duty to make efforts to bring back IS children

A total of 23 women have brought summary proceedings against the state because they and their children are in acute danger. The court recognizes the danger and speaks of a “harrowing situation.”

The Cabinet wants the women to be tried in the region, and the court found the Netherlands has the right to find out if that is possible.

Seebregts says the chance is fairly large that the women will also be brought back because the Kurds have always made it clear they want to deliver the women together with the children. “Just like the Americans, the Turks, and the Russians,” said the counsel.

According to current cabinet policy, Dutch travelers are not actively being brought back from Syria. The cabinet does not want to put Dutch officials in danger by sending them to an unsafe area.

If the government succeeds in bringing the women to the Netherlands, then they will be immediately arrested and placed in the terrorist section of Vught (prison). All persons who are known to have traveled from the Netherlands to the war zones in Syria and Iraq will be criminally investigated.