Over 7,000 foreign children,who travelled to, were trafficked to or were born in Iraq or Syria to parents who left their home countries to join the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIL), remain detained in inhuman and degrading conditions in camps in North East Syria. Despite urgent calls to repatriate them to the countries of their nationality,States’ stance on the repatriation of their nationals detained in North East Syria varies significantly. Notably, approaches to children associated with or affected by the conflict in Syria and Iraq differ starkly from traditional Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) approaches in post-conflict situations, States having often labelled child returnees as a ‘national security threat’ or ‘foreign terrorist fighters’ instead of ‘children who have been exploited by armed groups’.

This research guide addresses the issue of child returnees, with a focus on their rehabilitation and reintegration. It is the result of a literature review conducted by CRIN on the matter and seeks to present its main findings and offer a list of resources to researchers, policymakers and practitioners in the UK and abroad.