French-Born Moroccan Orphans Stranded in Syria: Lawyer Urges Repatriation

The two girls, who grew up in France, were taken to Syria in 2016, before they could apply for French nationality, explains their lawyer Marie Dosé, in an interview with the weekly Le Point. She has therefore taken legal action to demand their repatriation to France.

The condition of these teenagers is alarming. They have been in camps in Syria for four years. One of them, traumatized, hardly communicates anymore while the other suffers from an arm injury requiring surgery. Their lawyer frequently exchanges with them via WhatsApp, and describes their situation as a disaster. They need help even more since the French women who were taking care of them have been repatriated, leaving them even more isolated.

Despite their Moroccan nationality, the two girls have only known France and have no connection with Morocco, a country that has so far refused to repatriate its citizens from the camps in northeastern Syria. The lawyer claims that these young girls should be considered as victims of their parents’ decisions, who took them to the war zone before they could acquire French nationality.

For the lawyer, France must respect the decision of the European Court of Human Rights and examine the repatriation requests from the perspective of the best interests of the child.