Government has been asked to explore all avenues to expedite the repatriation of Trinidadian women and children who are being held in a camp in Syria.
The call was made on Monday by the head of the Anjuman Sunnat ul Jamaat Association (ASJA).
ASJA president Zainool Sarafat and second president Shamshard Ali, said their request is based solely on humanitarian grounds (not religious) and international reports of physical abuse at these camps, especially for the children who are innocent victims of this whole ordeal.
ASJA said while it lacks resources to monitor and prevent anyone from committing offences after they are repatriated, it is willing to work with the government to have these nationals properly reintegrated into society.
They are also offering to help government deal with any red tape with the repatriation process “without compromising the security of the State.”
However, both Sarafat and Ali said if something goes wrong when it comes to threats to national security, ASJA should not be blamed.
ASJA’s call for an expedited repatriation follows a report last week of the number of Trinidadian women and children facing abuse and hardship at the refugee camp since 2020.
According to NGO, Human Rights Watch (HRW), 100 TT nationals are in camps in Syria, including 13 men, 21 women and 56 children.
ASJA officials said it was particularly concerned about the well-being of children and women who are at grave risk in the refugee camp and that the longer they stay in such an environment, the harder it could be to rehabilitate and reintegrate these citizens back into TT society.
COMMENTS