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Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet stressed France will “for now” not act on Mr Trump’s call for European allies to repatriate hundreds of ISIS militants from Syria. “The Americans are asking us things but we are under no obligation to comply,” Mrs Belloubet told France Info radio, adding that “for the moment the government’s position has not changed.” Europe is currently faced with the problem of how to handle returning ISIS fighters, a situation complicated by Washington’s shock decision to withdraw its troops from war-torn Syria.


Mrs Belloubet had already told France 2 television on Monday that France was “not changing” its ISIS returnee policy despite the “new-geopolitical context” created by the US’ unexpected decision in December to pull its troops out of Syria. Mr Trump ratcheted up the pressure last Saturday when he threatened to release more than 800 captured ISIS fighters if European countries, including Britain, France and Germany, did not bring them home and put them on trial. The catalyst was an offensive by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the jihadist group’s last stronghold in north-eastern Syria. But European powers have refused to give in to US pressure, despite concerns that militants could disperse and try to return to their home countries if released.

SDF forces are currently holding about 150 French citizens


US President Donald Trump said the EU states should repatriate their citizen fighting for ISIS

Up until now, the French government has categorically refused to take back fighters and their wives, accepting to bring back only their children. “We believe that French citizens who left for Syria should be held accountable for their actions and should face trial there. “For the moment they are in Syria and will stay in Syria,” Mrs Belloubet insisted. “There are no plans to repatriate French ISIS members,” she continued, before acknowledging that the US’ departure meant that Paris had to be “extremely careful”.

The woman wearing grey veil claims to be a French citizen

Jacques Le Brun, the father of Quentin who joined ISIS and is currently held by the SDF

She said: “If French people who are being detained in Syria, those who left in order to fight, if for whatever reason they are released, we would need to prevent them from dispersing. “We would rather have them under our control than allow them to roam around the world freely without knowing where they are.” While we have considered a “hypothetical” repatriation scenario, for the moment our position has not changed, she concluded. Mrs Belloubet said there were around 70 French children in north-eastern Syria, but that it was “difficult” to know the exact number.

Shamima Begum's British citizenship has been revoked by the British Home Office

SDF forces are holding about 150 French citizens, including 50 adults, according to military and diplomatic sources. Washington’s imminent withdrawal from the war-ravaged country has cast a harsh spotlight on Europe’s longstanding and complex returnee problem. The fate of Shamima Begum, who left London as a 15-year-old school girl to join ISIS in Syria four years ago but now wants to return, has exposed the security, political and legal difficulties western countries face as they debate whether and how to bring back ISIS radicals. The UK has taken a hard position on the case of Ms Begum, who was found in a detention camp in Syria last week.

A member of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria