In an interview with the local newspaper Ouest-France, the Foreign Minister responded to pressures from some lawyers who had argued that DAESH women with French citizenship should be allowed to return to France.

Jean-Yves Le Drian said these women are “fighters” and “should be treated as such.” He explicitly added that “there is no possibility for these women to be accepted back.”

Insisting that France won’t take these women back, the minister added that the French position had been clear since the beginning.

“The French, who fought in the ranks of DAESH, - said Le Drian - fought against France. These are our enemies. They should be treated and tried in the place where they committed the crimes, especially in Iraq and Syria. This is true for men and women. Because, in 2014, 2015 and 2016, when they travel to Iraq and Syria, they went there usually to fight.”

As to the children of DAESH mercenaries, the French Minister said that their case will be dealt with individually and taking into account the position of the mothers. 

According to the Ministry of Interior, there are around 500 children born from French citizens in Iraq and Syria. 

It is stated that 100 of them have returned since 2015 and some of them have died. It was unclear what happened or where are the remaining 200 to 300 children.