Syrian War Victims Brought Back to Maldives

6 adults and 15 children from five families who went to Syria have been brought back to Maldives on a chartered flight this morning. The Minister of Homeland Security, Ali Ihusaan, told at the news conference that they have been taken to a rehabilitation center in Hinmafushi.

According to the Minister, the 15 children who had been brought back, and belonged to five separate families, were the children of a single Maldivian man and 5 women. The children are of various ages, with the youngest being 3 years old.

They were brought to Maldives after receiving a report that they were in distress at the Turkish/Syrian border. Since then, police have met them several times and conducted DNA tests to confirm their identity before bringing them back to Maldives.

All of the people brought from Syria will be investigated to determine the validity of their statements and a decision will be made within 30 days. The authorities will also carry out psychological checks to determine the impact of their time in the war, and if any need psychological assistance, they will be receiving psychological support at the rehabilitation facility to receive additional treatment.

If they are deemed to be suspects, they will be sent for a trial, and if they are found guilty, they will be sent to a correctional facility. If they are found not guilty, they will be assigned to the rehabilitation center where they will receive treatment for physical and psychological trauma as a result of the war.

The government has stated that it will ensure all people brought back from the region will receive rehabilitation assistance before being allowed back into society.

Ihusaan stated that he had received information that more than 100 Maldivians had been active in a variety of areas in the war and more than 90 of them had been contacted by the relevant local authorities. He stated that the people who had been contacted wanted to come back to Maldives.