Attorneys push for meeting on repatriation of women, children from Syria

ATTORNEYS for the families of 12 Trinidadian women and their children detained in a refugee camp in northern Syria want a meeting with the Attorney General and key government ministers to address their repatriation.

In a letter to Laura Persad, of the Chief State Solicitor’s Department, the families’ attorneys from the firm Quantum Legal, reminded that the Court of Appeal had in December 2024, directed the Government to engage in discussions on the repatriation efforts.

The court had instructed that relevant information be provided by January 10 and that the Government outline the key issues it wishes to address by January 20.

The attorneys said the absence of a clear repatriation legislative or policy framework was a critical issue for discussion.

The legal team noted that while there is a Cabinet-approved repatriation policy from 1969, the Government has not provided any clear framework for repatriating nationals from conflict zones like Syria. The attorneys have requested the Attorney General’s attendance at the meeting to discuss the drafting of relevant legislation.

They also suggested Sheikhmus Ahmed, head of Displaced Persons and Refugees for North and East Syria, act as a liaison. Ahmed has played a role in repatriation efforts for Canada and the United States and has offered to assist TT in navigating the geopolitical complexities of the Al-Hol Camp, the attorneys said.

The attorneys questioned the apparent inaction of Nightingale Task Force which was supposed to develop policies for the reintegration of returnees.

The letter said a freedom of information request on the committee’s work, submitted on December 23, 2024, has not yet been answered.

The attorneys also asked for disclosure of any ongoing effort to repatriate citizens as they pointed to statements by Repatriation Committee chairman Nizam Mohammed, who, in December, said the committee cannot achieve its objective. The committee was established by the Prime Minister to oversee the return of nationals.

The legal team also introduced the Quantum Foundation’s "Civil Contract", which, the letter, would serve as a legally binding agreement between the government, returnees, and their families, balancing national security concerns with reintegration efforts.

The attorneys also suggest commissioning Human Rights Watch or the Quantum Foundation to confirm the identities of the women and children, including DNA testing to prove their relation to Trinidadian nationals.

They also called for greater transparency on national security issues associated with repatriation and said they requested the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) annual reports for 2022 and 2023, as well as the Anti-Terrorism Unit’s 2023-2024 annual report, which has not been made public.

According to the attorneys, two children born in Syria to Trinidadians were repatriated to the United Kingdom in April 2022 and their grandparents in Trinidad now have legal guardianship and want to bring them home.

However, the attorneys complained that the Government has refused entry, insisting the children must first obtain citizenship, despite having Trinidadian birth certificates and DNA proof of their parentage.

In addition to the Attorney General, the team wants Finance Minister Colm Imbert, Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne, Prime Minister-designate Stuart Young, the chief or deputy chief immigration officer, and a representative from the Nightingale task force and the Children’s Authority at the meeting.

The families’ attorneys have set a deadline for government officials to confirm their attendance at the meeting. They have warned of possible legal action if there is further delay in addressing the urgent humanitarian crisis facing Trinidadian women and children in Syria.

They said their negotiating team was led by Elton Prescott, SC, supported by a team from Quantum Legal. They expected a response by January 20.

With several other nations successfully repatriating their citizens, the families are urging the Government to act swiftly before conditions in the Syrian camps deteriorate further.