Belgian children and mothers held in jihadists camp in Syria return to their country
July 17, 2021, 6:32 am

Belgian children and mothers held in jihadists camp in Syria return to their country

The BBC said ten children and six mothers held in a prison camp for jihadists in Syria have been flown home to Belgium.

It is the biggest repatriation of suspected Islamic State (IS) members since the group's fall in 2019.

According to the BBC, hundreds of Europeans who travelled to Syria to join IS, including women and children, are trapped in Kurdish-run camps in northern Syria.

Many European countries have not allowed them to return, but Belgium wants to bring back young children.

Three mothers and seven children have rejected the offer to return to Belgium, reports say.

Once they are returned from the camp in Roj, north-eastern Syria, the mothers are expected to be arrested and charged by anti-terror authorities, while the children will be taken into care.

Prime Minister Alexander de Croo announced in March that Belgium would "do everything" to repatriate those in the camps aged under 12. He said it was important to consider their "well-being".

Heidi De Pauw, of the Child Focus NGO, praised the decision. She told AFP news agency that children should be able to "leave the dangers of these war zones".

After the outbreak of war in Syria in 2011, more than 400 Belgians went there to join IS - among the largest number of any European country.

At its height, IS controlled 88,000 sq km (34,000 sq miles) of land stretching across Syria and Iraq.

But after the militants were declared territorially defeated in the region in March 2019, the mothers and children were moved to camps along with thousands of others who were displaced.

Concerned about the security risk they pose, some European governments have been reluctant to repatriate their citizens from the camps.

The case of Shamima Begum, the British schoolgirl who joined IS in 2015 and was later stripped of her UK citizenship on security grounds, is one prominent example.

But human rights groups have urged governments to take their citizens back, arguing that leaving women and children in the camps puts them at risk of illness and radicalisation.

Source: BBC

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”