British children's lives are being devastated by the UK's unprecedented use of citizenship stripping, says new research from Lancaster University.
The former UK government's failure, says the study, to repatriate children means they are stuck in dire camp conditions in North-East Syria during pivotal formative years.
The research article 'British children associated with ISIS in camps in North-East Syria: Counter-terrorism, security and children's rights concerns in repatriation decision-making' is just published in the Ethnic and Racial Studies journal.
The article is authored by Dr Madeline-Sophie Abbas, a Senior Lecturer in Racism and Anti-racism in the Department of Sociology.
Whilst some unaccompanied or orphaned children have been repatriated, says the article, children who are with their mothers are particularly at risk and raise concerns of human rights violations and right to family.
"Unprecedented use of citizenship deprivation powers has been devastating for children where their parents have lost their British citizenship and enforces separation of children from their parents, even forcing parents to make the decision to agree to being separated from their children to ensure they are safe," explains Dr Abbas.
The research article draws from interviews with key NGOs working on statelessness and children's rights to explore whether ISIS-associated children should be treated as victims or security threats.
It also examines the impact that the UK government's failure to repatriate British children has for children's rights and what a children's rights approach would mean for affected families and the international community.
The article calls for 'a children's right approach to repatriation decision-making' to ensure British children's safe return and right to family.
Accounts suggest that a different policy response is required that treats children foremost as victims within contexts of armed conflict in keeping with international human rights law, including those who travelled to ISIS-governed areas when children and who are now adults.
The UK lags behind international allies concerning repatriation efforts, says the article.
London-based Rights and Security International, interviewed in this research, launched its Global Repatriation Tracker in 2022 documenting estimated numbers of repatriated children, women, and men since 2019 to aid transparency and pressure states, including the UK, to act.
At the time of writing this article, approximately 38 countries had repatriated some or most of their nationals compared to the UK which had only repatriated 18 children (mostly orphaned or unaccompanied) and three women since 2019.
An estimated 20-25 British women or families were detained within North-East Syrian camps not withstanding those denied citizenship appealing decisions within UK courts.
The article uses several powerful case studies to highlight the situation including the heartbreak of British children seeing children from other countries they have been living closely with for years being repatriated while they are forced to remain.
This work was supported by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Research England Policy Support Fund (PSF).
"Prioritising children's rights makes the question of agency moot within contexts of humanitarian crises in order to protect British children," says Dr Abbas.
"This means reinstating citizenship where deprived and for the UK government to take responsibility for its citizens. British children must be able to return with caregivers to prevent further trauma of family separation."
