Families of Moroccans trapped in SDF prisons have urged the government to repatriate their relatives [Getty]
The families of Moroccan nationals detained in Kurdish-controlled camps in northeast Syria are urging their government to intervene and repatriate their loved ones.
The detainees, many of whom left Morocco to join Islamist groups, remain trapped in deteriorating conditions as fighting continues to rage between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian rebel groups. Â
The mother of one detainee named Hamza, speaking under the pseudonym Fatima for safety reasons, described her ongoing torment since her son disappeared in 2016.
“My son left overnight for Turkey. A few days later, we heard he had crossed into Syria. He went from being an engineering student to a fighter,” she tells The New Arab.
“I raised a young boy dreaming of seeing him graduate and get married. Now, I only hear about him from Red Cross updates. We fear he’ll be just another name on the deceased list.”
Living in limbo: Families await news Â
Hamza (not his real name) is one of hundreds of Moroccan detainees held by the SDF, which operates a network of detention facilities across northeastern Syria.
According to the National Coordination for the Families of Moroccans Detained or Stranded in Syria and Iraq, at least 135 men, 103 women and 292 children – 31 of which are orphans – remain in camps across northeastern Syria.
“The area is completely blocked,” Fatima said. “We don’t know what our sons are going through. The Red Cross is our only source of information, but even that is limited.”
Farha, whose brother disappeared in 2015, shared a similar story of heartbreak.
“Losing him felt like death. At least someone who dies can rest in peace, but we’re living with the torture of not knowing. The last time we heard from him was through a handwritten note in 2023. It just said, Salamat [‘I’m safe’].”
Rebel groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have defeated Assad regime forces in Syria, taking control of the country’s major cities and freeing detainees from regime prisons. However, they have yet to reach the Kurdish-controlled northeast, where the SDF, backed by the US, continues to maintain control. Â
Voicing the hope of many families, Fatima said: “We are just waiting for the opposition to reach Kurdish areas so we can have more information about our sons. But our greatest fear is that they are caught in an endless war.”
‘We fear the same horrors as in Saydnaya’
Relatives fear to see the same horrors unveiled in the notorious Saydnaya Prison outside Damascus, where around 13,000 detainees were killed between 2011 and 2016, according to Amnesty International.
“We are afraid to switch on the news and see the bodies of our loved ones trapped in SDF prisons,” Farha told The New Arab.
Despite the ongoing pain, the families also face social stigma due to their relatives’ alleged involvement with IS.
“We’ve been demonized because of what our sons have done,” Fatima said. “People call us ‘the family of Daesh’. But we are just parents who want to see their sons alive again.”
The National Coordination for the Families of Moroccans Detained or Stranded in Syria and Iraq has been advocating for the repatriation of these detainees since 2016. Their general secretary, speaking anonymously, has also urged the Moroccan government to take responsibility. Â
“We are urging the authorities to start a formal extradition process,” they said. “Our sons need to come back home, undergo recovery programs, and rebuild their lives with the support of their country.”
Until then, families like Fatima’s and Farha’s remain in limbo. “The day I see my son again, I will never let him go,” Fatima said. “I just want my son back.”
The New Arab contacted the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment but received no response by the time of publication.
