WASHINGTON (CHATNEWSTV) — The United States has commended Austria for repatriating two women and three children from the Roj displaced persons camp in northeast Syria, with U.S. assistance, on March 1, according to a statement from the State Department.
“Repatriating nationals to their countries of origin is the only durable solution to the security and humanitarian challenges posed by al-Hol and Roj camps and detention centers in northeast Syria,” Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement Monday. “Further, these actions reduce the risk of an ISIS resurgence in the region.”
Approximately 23,000 individuals from more than 60 countries remain in the al-Hol and Roj camps, the majority of whom are children under the age of 12. About 3,800 of those are European nationals from over 35 different countries, according to the State Department.
The United States expressed gratitude to Austria for working collaboratively to repatriate its nationals and acknowledged the local authorities in northeast Syria for facilitating the process.
The Trump administration continues to urge nations to repatriate their citizens from the camps, emphasizing that failure to address the situation could exacerbate security concerns in the region. “As the dynamics in the region change, we cannot allow these challenges to fester,” Bruce said.
