In an attempt to obtain a reliable overview of exactly how many children of Norwegian jihadists and “Daesh brides” are left in detention camps in Syria, Norway intends to apply DNA testing to make sure they are Norwegian before they can be taken home. However, even Norwegian citizenship doesn’t guarantee a return ticket to Europe.
“We cannot risk us taking children to Norway, whose parents may still be alive and are not Norwegian citizens,” Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide said, explaining the government’s stance to national broadcaster NRK.
Søreide pointed out that it is particularly difficult to determine the identity and citizenship of the children, because many were born in Syria or Iraq.
“Thus, a DNA test must be carried out to confirm the child’s identity and citizenship, which is demanding”, Søreide said. According to her, establishing citizenship first requires establishing a correct identity. How long the process may take remains unclear.
The Norwegian authorities are in contact with international humanitarian organisations that have access to the camps in Syria and Iraq, such as the International Red Cross Committee.