Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British children have been repatriated from Syria or from territory that was formerly part of the sovereign states of Syria or Iraq in the last 12 months.

We can confirm that in the last 12 months there have been a small number of British children who have left Syria and returned to the UK via third countries.

The Government does not have a consular presence within Syria from which to provide consular assistance. FCO Travel Advice advises against all travel to Syria, and that British Nationals should leave by any practical means. We will not put British officials’ lives at risk to assist those who have left the UK to join a proscribed terrorist organisation.

If a British child who has been in Syria is able to seek consular assistance outside of Syria, then we would work with local and UK authorities to facilitate their return if requested.