France has repatriated three women aged 18 to 34 and ten children from jihadist camps in northeastern Syria on September 16, 2025, marking a rare resumption after a pause since summer 2023.

This operation follows international criticism and legal challenges, including a 2022 European Court of Human Rights ruling, which contributed to the halt of such repatriations for over two years.

While the recent repatriation was welcomed by families, it also highlighted the ongoing plight of over 110 French children still held in camps like Roj, with some having been detained for more than six years.

Between 2019 and 2023, France had already repatriated 169 children and 57 women, but the cessation of operations has been heavily criticized, especially given that approximately 120 children and 50 women remain detained in Syrian camps.

Following the repatriation, some women were placed in police custody or scheduled for judicial proceedings, while minors are under educational and social support, managed by the Versailles prosecutor’s office.

Advocacy groups, such as Collectif des Familles Unies, condemn the conditions of those remaining in camps and are calling for their immediate repatriation, emphasizing that around 120 children and 50 women are still detained.

According to legal experts, France has the capacity to organize further repatriations but continues to grapple with the legal and security issues surrounding the detention of women and adults still in Syria.

In June 2025, the Kurdish administration, in coordination with the UN, announced plans to evacuate camps housing displaced Syrians and Iraqis linked to jihadist groups, aiming to clear these camps by the end of the year.

The recent operation was carried out with the cooperation of Syrian authorities and local administrations, which France appreciates, although the country remains cautious about conducting on-the-ground operations due to security risks.

The situation underscores the complex political and security challenges France faces, especially a decade after the jihadist attacks on French soil, making repatriation a sensitive and contentious issue.