They experienced the unspeakable, in unspeakable conditions. Detained for several years in a camp in Syria, where certain ex-combatants of the Islamic State (IS) armed group and members of their families are imprisoned, six children aged 5 to 12 will soon be repatriated to Canada, without their mother Quebecois. They will be taken care of by the Director of Youth Protection (DYP) and the RCMP, in partnership with the Polarization clinic in Montreal, which supports people affected by radicalization.
“It’s a shame that these children come back so late, but they must be well received,” said Cécile Rousseau, child psychiatrist and director of the Polarization clinic at the CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest-de-l’Île. -from Montreal.
In March 2019, after the fall of Baghouz, in Syria, the last stronghold of the IS group — also known as Daesh — very close to the Iraqi border, the few surviving jihadists and their families were added to the others already detained in the Al-Roj and Al-Hol camps, controlled by the Kurds. At the same time, in Montreal, faced with growing pressure for Canada to repatriate women and children of Canadian origin, a protocol was put in place between the DPJ, the RCMP and the Polarization clinic, which prepared to welcome them.
“At the time, we knew that most Canadians who had been affiliated with Daesh were women and children. And there was a whole process to ask ourselves what would be optimal for receiving these repatriated people,” explained M.me Rousseau. “We had two objectives: the best interests of the child and optimal social reintegration which aims both the well-being of returning subjects and the safety of Canadians. »
Since 2020, nearly thirty of these Canadian nationals detained in these camps in northeast Syria — the majority of them children — have been repatriated to Montreal, returns that have sometimes been publicized, sometimes gone under the radar.
Overcrowded and unsanitary, this place of detention, as well as others, saw children die of malnutrition and dehydration, according to a judgment by the Canadian Federal Court. In Al-Roj, children, out of school and deprived of health care, suffer from respiratory illnesses caused by emissions from nearby oil fields.
Separated from their mother
The Quebec mother of six children, whose identity cannot be revealed, finally decided to let her children go. The Canadian government is refusing her return to the country because she would present a risk to national security, explains her lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon. Last year, she was faced with an “impossible choice,” he said: let her children return to Canada without her, or keep them in the Al-Roj camp.
“The mother refused to allow her children to be repatriated if she was not with them. But recently, she came out of the detention camp and gave me instructions to consent to the repatriation of her children without her,” explained M.e Greenspon, who helped return nearly 30 women and children. “Unfortunately, the government’s position [sur le rapatriement de la mère] did not change. »
According to child psychiatrist Cécile Rousseau, depriving a minor child of their parent is a “huge risk factor” which can harm integration. “The bond of attachment is the most important thing for a child. The literature tells us: it is more difficult for children to find themselves like orphans, in instability, she says. The major challenge will be to reestablish parental figures. »
The mother’s decision to separate from her children must have been all the more difficult to make as she would be seriously disabled, her lawyer confirmed to Duty, and that she needs the help of her children to get around. She would also be torn by the fact that her offspring will be placed in foster care, having no relatives in Canada.
The children will likely be placed with various families, selected by the DPJ, who “respect their faith”. “But others will be in revolt and we must allow them to be real teenagers who play basketball and do other things,” said Mme Rousseau.
In addition to psychological monitoring for children through art therapy or games, the Polarization clinic will offer support to schools, in particular to equip staff to better support them. “You have to understand where they come from, how to interpret certain behaviors, withdrawal, fear. Some children have never seen cars or almost never, never had electricity or a bathroom. The shock is enormous! »
Not terrorists
Mme Rousseau insists that the returning children are not terrorists and must be protected. “They found themselves in difficult circumstances, had parents who chose to leave [combattre en Syrie] “, she says. And as for any Canadian who breaks the law, the right to rehabilitation exists. “ [Les parents] have the right to a second chance. »
In the spring of 2023, two of the four women repatriated to Canada with their children were arrested upon arriving in the country, but were released on certain conditions, including that of not disturbing public order.
Cécile Rousseau understands the fears surrounding these returns. But experience shows that the reintegration of these children into Quebec society works. “In 2019, we were in the unknown, but now, we can tell you that yes, it works. Yes, we can reintegrate these children and their mothers, who can once again become valued citizens and who have great potential. »
Despite the small number of people observed, clinical indicators show that the model has proven itself, she assures. “We don’t want to replace all the services, but the idea is that [la clinique] facilitates and maximizes the chances of integration from the start, continues Mme Rousseau. Because it’s much harder to repair. »
Asked about the care of the children and the reasons for not repatriating their mother, Global Affairs Canada did not respond to questions from Duty for confidentiality reasons.