Bringing Children Home: A children's rights approach to returning from ISIL

This policy brief highlights the issue of children being recruited by the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIL) and the dire conditions they face in displacement camps in Iraq and Syria. It reveals that approximately 4,640 children from over 80 countries traveled to join ISIL, either alone or with their families, and around 1,460 have since returned. These children have been exploited to carry weapons, guard strategic locations, and even participate in suicide bombings. They have experienced extreme violence, sexual violence, forced marriage, and indoctrination, resulting in significant risks to their physical and mental well-being. The overcrowded and inadequate conditions in the camps, combined with attacks on essential facilities, have further worsened their situation. Urgent measures are necessary to protect these children and prevent irreparable harm. International human rights and children’s rights law should form the basis for State’s response to children in displacement camps in Syria and Iraq. The signing organisations recommend 10 following steps that States must urgently take.