Feb 18, 2026, 1:58 p.mFeb 18, 2026, 1:58 p.m
Three Swiss nationals previously held in northeast Syria have been transferred to Iraq. Meanwhile, family members, which according to the federal government also include a Swiss woman and her child, remain behind in a camp in Syria.
A total of 5,700 prisoners were transferred to the Iraqi detention center. (symbol image)Image: EPA
Taking the situation into account, the Swiss relocated to Iraq will be granted consular protection to the extent possible, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA) announced on Tuesday.
There are currently no plans to transfer the family members of IS fighters from the camps to Iraq. According to an agreement with the autonomous Kurdish administration, the administration of the remaining camps is to be transferred to the Syrian interim government.
A total of 5,700 prisoners who had fought for the IS terrorist militia were transferred from Syria to an Iraqi prison. The operation by the responsible US forces lasted 23 days, with some of the prisoners able to escape.
No repatriation of Swiss IS fighters
The background to the measure was the tensions between the new government in Damascus and the Kurdish-dominated SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) militia. Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani recently called on EU states to take back their nationals from captured IS supporters and bring them to justice.
So far, the FDFA has not been asked to take back the Swiss citizens who are in Iraq. Based on a Federal Council decision, Switzerland is not actively repatriating adult travelers motivated by terrorism, the FDFA said at the request of the Keystone-SDA news agency. (sda)
You might also be interested in these articles: