Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Feb 22, 2025

Syria center seeks to rehabilitate Daesh-scarred foreign children

Syria center seeks to rehabilitate Daesh-scarred foreign children

Children of foreign jihadists play football on a dirt field at a center in northeastern Syria that Kurdish authorities hope will help rehabilitate minors raised on Daesh group ideology.
More than 50 boys aged 11-17, some with parents hailing from Britain, France, Germany or the United States, live at the heavily guarded Orkesh rehabilitation center near the city of Qamishli, close to the Turkish border.

Opened six months ago, it is the first facility seeking to rehabilitate foreign boys in the Kurdish administered northeast, where prisons and camps are packed with thousands of Daesh group relatives from more than 60 countries.

Another center opened its doors in 2017 to rehabilitate young former jihadists.

The success of the centers are crucial to “saving the region from the emergence of a new generation of extremists,” said Khaled Remo, co-chair of the Kurdish administration’s office of justice and reform affairs.

Some of the boys wearing tracksuits played table football in one of the rooms, while others kicked around a ball outside in the sun, talking to one another in broken Arabic.

Once the boys turn 18, they will need a new rehabilitation program or for their home countries to take them back.

“We don’t want the kids to stay permanently in these centers, but diplomatic efforts are slow, and many children need rehabilitation,” Remo said.

Kurdish-led forces, supported by a US-led coalition, spearheaded the fight against Daesh in Syria, driving the group from its last redoubt in the country in 2019.

Tens of thousands of people, including relatives of suspected jihadists, have been detained ever since in the Kurdish-controlled Al-Hol and Roj camps, including around 10,000 foreigners in Al-Hol alone.

While girls are also in the camps, this rehabilitation center focuses on boys because they would be who Daesh remnants — now in hideouts in the desert — would recruit to fight if they could, Remo said.

Kurdish authorities have repeatedly called on countries to repatriate their citizens, but foreign governments have allowed only a trickle to return home, fearing security threats and domestic political backlash.

The boys at the rehabilitation center were transferred from Al-Hol and Roj, authorities said, as well as from the Ghwayran prison, where hundreds were killed after jihadists stormed it early last year.

Some with their heads shaved or wearing beanies attend classes in Arabic and English, learning mathematics, drawing and even music.

Inside one classroom, the boys fiddled around with crayons, one teenager drawing the sunset in shades of orange and pink.

Later that day, they were learning to count in English, repeating the numbers after their female teacher.

The facility also has dormitories, recreation areas and a dining hall, and the boys can play chess or watch documentary films and cartoons.

The center’s goal is to prepare the boys “to integrate into their communities in the future” and live better lives “in a normal context,” said Aras Darwish, who heads the project.

“Our goal is to offer psychosocial and educational support,” Darwish said of the center, which provides individual and group therapy sessions.

The boys are also encouraged to draw in order to express their feelings and deal with memories, he said, pointing to a room decorated with drawings of trees, cars and houses.

Save the Children in December warned that around 7,000 children of suspected foreign jihadists were “trapped in desperate conditions and put at risk on a daily basis” in overcrowded detention camps in northeast Syria.

Al-Hol is notorious for violence, with killings and attacks even targeting children, guards and humanitarian workers.

In early March, UN chief Antonio Guterres called for the swift repatriation of foreigners from Al-Hol.

“The worst camp that exists in today’s world is Al-Hol... with enormous suffering for the people that have been stranded there for years,” Guterres said.

He warned that letting this “untenable situation fester” will only fuel “more resentment and despair.”

Reem Al-Hassan, 28, a counsellor at the Orkesh center, said the program was working.

“We can see a big difference in the kids compared to when they first came,” he said.

“At first, some of them refused to take part in classes with women teachers,” she said, as jihadists had imposed a strict segregation of genders when they controlled territory in Syria and Iraq.

“But the situation is better now — we see gradual, if slow, improvement.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Saudi Arabia and the United States Strengthen Ties Amid Global Developments
Saudi Arabia Hosts Global Conference to Promote Islamic Unity
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Education and Child Development
Saudi Arabia Announces Competition for Best Founding Day Outfits
Saudi-EU Food Security Officials Hold Talks to Strengthen Collaboration
Putin Expresses Gratitude to Saudi Crown Prince for Hosting US-Russia Talks
UK and Saudi Arabia Enhance Collaboration in Innovation and Technology
Denmark's Embassy in Riyadh Showcases Danish Cuisine with Saudi Influence
Saudi Artist Salman Al-Amir Unveils 'Tafawut' Exhibition in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia Offers Condolences to Kuwait Following Military Exercise Fatalities
Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs Completes Ramadan Preparations in Madinah
Etidal Secretary-General Hosts UN Counter-Terrorism Director in Riyadh
ADNOC Drilling Targets Over $1 Billion in Investments for 2025 Amid Gulf Expansion Plans
Derayah Financial Achieves Remarkable Growth in Saudi Brokerage and Asset Management
Saudi Arabia Shortlists 30 Firms for Mining Licenses in Eastern Province and Tabuk
Saudi Foreign Minister Engages Counterparts at G20 Meeting in Johannesburg
Oil Prices Decline Amid Rising US Inventories
Saudi Arabia's NDMC Plans Green Bond Issuance by 2025
Moody’s Affirms Egypt’s Caa1 Rating Amid Positive Economic Outlook
Oman and Saudi Arabia Strengthen Economic Ties with New Agreements
Saudi Arabia Investments Propel Expansion of Qurayyah Power Plant
Saudi Capital Market Authority Advances SPACs and Direct Listings
Global Energy Leaders Gather in Riyadh for Symposium on Energy Outlooks
Al-Ahsa Region Sees 500% Growth in Tourism as Saudi Arabia Prioritizes Development
Saudi Arabia Advances Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Al-Ahsa with New Agreement
King Salman Approves Official Saudi Riyal Symbol
Saudi Credit Card Lending Reaches $8.4 Billion Amid Digital Payment Expansion
King Salman Approves Official Symbol for Saudi Riyal
Putin Thanks Saudi Crown Prince for Facilitating U.S.-Russia Discussions
Saudi Foreign Minister Attends G20 Meeting in Johannesburg
Saudi Arabia Prepares for Nationwide Founding Day Celebrations
Inauguration of Hira Park and Walkway Enhances Jeddah's Urban Landscape
Crown Prince Hosts Leaders for Informal Meeting in Riyadh Amid Gaza Rebuilding Plans
Saudi Official Highlights Achievements and Media's Role in National Transformation
Three Expatriate Women Arrested for Prostitution in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia's Diplomatic Evolution Highlighted at Saudi Media Forum
Healthy Eating and Preparation Essential for Ramadan Fasting
Saudi Arabia and Japan Forge Sustainable Textile Partnership
Advanced Limb Surgery Restores Mobility in Pediatric Cancer Patient
Jeddah Event Explores AI's Role in Boosting Saudi Arabia's SME Sector
UN Representative Highlights AI's Role in Perpetuating Gender Stereotypes
Saudi and Jordanian Leaders Discuss Enhanced Security Cooperation in Amman
Saudi British Society Honors Cultural Bridge-Builders at London Gala
Saudi Media Forum 2025 Explores AI's Role in Modern Journalism
Saudi Arabia's Saqer Al-Moqbel Appointed as WTO General Council President for 2025–2026
Saudi Deputy Ministers Engage in Diplomatic Discussions with U.S. and Dutch Officials in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia to Launch Iftar Program in 61 Countries During Ramadan
Saudi Visitors Expected to Spend £942 Million in UK During 2025
Saudi Arabia Gifts Kaaba's Kiswah to Uzbekistan's Center of Islamic Civilization
Digital Cooperation Organization Concludes Fourth General Assembly with Multiple Agreements
×