Repatriation of U.S., Canadian, Dutch and Finnish Citizens from Northeast Syria

Today the United States repatriated 11 U.S. citizens from northeast Syria, including five minors. Additionally, we resettled in the United States the nine-year-old non-U.S. citizen sibling of one of the U.S. citizen minors. This is the largest single repatriation of U.S. citizens from northeast Syria to date.

In conducting this complex repatriation and resettlement the Department coordinated closely with our interagency partners. I would like to thank the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, and the Departments of Defense, Justice, and Health and Human Services for their assistance.

Approximately 30,000 individuals from more than 60 countries outside Syria remain in the al-Hol and Roj displaced persons camps, the majority of whom are children. As governments undertake repatriation of their nationals, we urge thoughtfulness and flexibility to ensure that to the maximum extent possible family units remain intact.

The only durable solution to the humanitarian and security crisis in the displaced persons camps and detention facilities in northeast Syria is for countries to repatriate, rehabilitate, reintegrate, and where appropriate, ensure accountability for wrongdoing. The United States remains committed to helping those nations which seek to repatriate their nationals from northeast Syria, and to finding solutions, including resettlement, for those who are unable to return to their communities or countries of origin.

As a part of this operation the United States also facilitated the repatriation of six Canadian citizens, four Dutch citizens, and one Finnish citizen, among them eight children. We thank these governments for their partnership and applaud their demonstration of leadership by bringing their nationals home. We thank the Government of Kuwait for its support, and also the Syrian Democratic Forces for its assistance.