Translated with AI
Tajik authorities plan to repatriate up to 300 of their citizens—women and children—who remain in camps in Syria. This was announced by Qodiri Suhayli Abduhafizzoda, Head of the Department for the State Protection of Children's Rights at the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner, at a press conference in Dushanbe.
According to him, between 2019 and 2024, 382 people were returned to Tajikistan, and another 90 citizens returned on their own.
He noted that the authorities had planned to return all remaining women and children during the final stage in 2024, but they had decided against it. He added that many feared that upon arrival in Tajikistan, criminal cases would be brought against them and they would be held accountable.
At the same time, Abdukhafizoda emphasized that all citizens previously returned to the republic were amnestied.
He also reported that with the arrival of new authorities in Syria, the work of the specialized working group on the return of citizens was suspended. The fate of the remaining women and children remains unknown, but he said optimism remains.
According to the latest data, there were approximately 800 Tajik citizens in Syria. Of these, 382 were returned in an organized manner, and another 90 returned voluntarily. The ombudsman estimates that between 250 and 300 Tajik citizens—women and children—currently remain in Syria.
