In the past three days, Russian and French delegations have arrived in Qamishlo to meet Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria officials and to repatriate families of ISIS members who were being held in al-Hol and Roj camps.

According to the Rojava Information Centre (RIC), the Russian delegation, which included the Russian President's Commissar for Children's Rights, Maria Lvova Belova, repatriated 38 Russian children, most of whom are reportedly orphans.

This is Russia's fourth repatriation delegation of 2022, and it brings the total number of Russian citizens repatriated this year to 68, all of whom were children.

An estimated 4,500 Russians came to Syria to fight alongside ISIS during the period of the caliphate. Some brought their children with them, others had children after arriving. Since Russia began repatriations in 2018, 350 people (all children) have been repatriated.

Meanwhile, the French delegation, led by Stéphane Romatet, head of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs' crisis management and support center, repatriated 40 children and 15 women.

An estimated 1,300 French people came to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS during its territorial caliphate. France has now repatriated a total of 133 French nationals, 101 of whom were children, since starting repatriations in 2019.