The Maldivian government has launched a new effort to repatriate additional Maldivian nationals who found themselves stranded after traveling to Syria.
Anwar Naeem, the director-general of the National Re-integration Center (NRC), confirmed on Monday that plans are underway to bring back a group of Maldivian citizens from Syria, though he did not specify the number of individuals involved.
“We will provide more information on Wednesday, once the operation concludes,” he stated.
It’s estimated that over 100 Maldivians had initially fled to Syria, with around 70 believed to have perished in the ongoing conflict.
The United Nations has reported that there are still over 50 Maldivian nationals – predominantly widows of fighters and their children – residing in Syrian camps, facing inadequate access to essentials like food, clean water, healthcare, and education.
In the previous year, the Maldives successfully repatriated a family of five, comprising a woman and her four children.
Maldivians returning from conflict zones are subject to a rehabilitation and deradicalization program at the NRC in K. Himmafushi. As per the law, they are required to stay at the center for a minimum of one year.