JONAS AND HIS MOTHER ARE COMING HOME TO DENMARK

8-YEAR-OLD JONAS IS NOW HOME 

Jonas has finally returned to Denmark with his mother after more than five years of abandonment in Syrian detention camps. It has been a long journey to bring him home, and we are deeply grateful for the support we have received along the way from our members, partners, and volunteers.



In the days leading up to Jonas' return, we did everything possible to ensure a warm and welcoming arrival for him. Unfortunately, it has not gone as we had hoped. Since his arrival in Denmark, Jonas has not been able to meet his family, and Knud and Natascha from RTC, who have visited him in the detention camps many times, were not permitted to be present during the separation from his mother.



Before coming to Denmark, Jonas had to say goodbye to his aunt, with whom he has lived his entire life. She has not been granted permission to accompany him to Denmark. It is heartbreaking to imagine how it must have been for him, and it is our greatest hope that one chooses to bring the aunt to Denmark, so Jonas won't have to worry about her.


We continue working to ensure that Jonas receives the rights and care he deserves to have a happy and safe childhood here in Denmark.


We also remain committed to advocating for the repatriation of the 20,000 other children still detained in Syrian camps and ultimately to the closure of these detention facilities.


RTC HAS TAKEN LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THE DANISH GOVERNMENT

When the government decided to evacuate 14 of the Danish children and their mothers from the Syrian detention camps, five Danish children were left behind because their mothers had had their citizenship administratively revoked

Only if the mothers agreed to be separated from them would the children be able to return to Denmark – alone. 


As a result of this decision, RTC chose to cite the government on behalf of three of the children. According to several experts in the field, separating the children from their mothers would not only be harmful to the children, but it would also be against international conventions to do so.


In June 2023 two of the Danish Children and their mother came to Denmark. In the same year, another mother got her Danish citizenship back, but she chose not to travel to Denmark, as she does not wish to be separated from her children.


On Thursday, August 29th, the Supreme Court ruled in our favor, stating that 8-year-old Jonas should be brought home from the Roj detentioncamp along with his mother.


Today, Jonas and his mother are back in Denmark.


There is curently two Danish children remaining in the Syrian detention camps, and we are working to bring them home to Denmark


READ MORE ABOUT RTC'S CASE HERE


VERDICTS IN CASES ON CITIZENSHIP

In March 2023, the Danish Supreme Court ruled that withdrawing the citizenship from the mother of two of the Danish children in the al-Roj detention camp was illegal. 


The government has since offered to evacuate the family, but so far, she has decided to stay in Syria with her children. She cannot comprehend the consequences for her two children when she gets taken into custody in Denmark. 


In one of the other cases from October 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that the Ministry of Immigration and Integration’s decision to revoke a woman’s Danish citizenship by naturalization while she was detained in Syria was valid. 

In May 2023, the Danish government reached a political compromise, which meant that she subsequently could return to Denmark with her two young children after almost five years of imprisonment in Syria. 


Jonas' mother and aunt's case on citizenship has been appealed to the High Court. 

WHAT IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE REMOVAL OF CITIZENSHIP?

As of October 2019, it has been possible for the Minister of Immigration and Integration to administratively strip away Danish citizenship from people with dual citizenship. The deprivation can occur if the minister reckons that the person has caused damage to the nation’s vital interests.


An administrative deprivation means it appears outside the courts and you are informed digitally of the removal. After the law was implemented, 12 people had their citizenship removed administratively. Seven of them have complained through lawsuits. 


(SOURCE: UIM, ft.dk, DR Nyheder)