Human rights defenders discuss problems of rehabilitation of women and children returned from Syria

Participants of a seminar held in Moscow note that the authorities recognize the need to return wives and children of militants, including natives of Northern Caucasus, from Syria. However, the problems of their rehabilitation and social adaptation are urgent.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that Russia is constantly discussing the problem of returning Russian citizens from Syria to their homeland. For example, on June 2, the film “Forbidden Children” was shown in Moscow. It tells a story about the fate of five sisters from Chechnya who ended up in the Syrian al-Hawl (also known as al-Hol) refugee camp after the deaths of their parents.

According to Ekaterina Sokiryanskaya, the director of the Conflict Analysis and Prevention Centre, most often people left Russia with their families, but women with children are mostly trying to return, since almost all husbands were killed during the war.

“It should be noted that Russia is among the leaders in the return of citizens. Western countries hardly accept those who wish to return,” Ekaterina Sokiryanskaya emphasized.

“The authorities have no clear information concerning who those people are. Are they criminals or victims? Public institutions refuse the returnees in solving social issues, because officials consider them as accomplices of terrorists,” said Olga Ilmuradova from the “Barqaror Hayot”.

The overwhelming majority of women left Russia against their will, since they were accompanying their husbands, psychologist Maret Shidaeva notes.

The authorities are reasonably skeptical about the returnees, says Aleksandr Verkhovsky, the director of the “Sova” Information and Analytical Centre.

Ekaterina Sokiryanskaya points out that the main problems of the reintegration of the returning women and children are sociological and psychological problems, as well as the problem of the work of guardians, since the returning children face particular difficulties.