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UK government under pressure to repatriate child, mother from Syrian detention camp

The Arab News reported, the UK government is facing increased pressure to repatriate a young boy and his gravely ill mother from a Syrian detention camp as fears mount that she may die, leaving the child orphaned.
An explosion in 2019 inside the camp, where the pair have been held for several years, left the mother with shrapnel in her head, but despite multiple requests to repatriate the family the mother and son remain incarcerated in Syria — a decision described by Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell as “hard to fathom.”
Mitchell told The Guardian: “Ministers are asking us to believe that this British woman who can barely walk is such a threat that she cannot be brought home for life-saving treatment.
“The government’s position is surely hard to fathom. Has the UK really become so fearful and so cruel? I urge the government not to risk making an orphan of a young British boy and bring this family home.”

According to the paper, the condition of the mother, whose name has been withheld, has worsened recently, with doctors warning she is unlikely to survive without medical intervention.
The co-executive director of the legal charity Reprieve, Maya Foa, who has visited the pair, said their tent was recently set alight, with the young boy forced to drag his mother from the fire and that he now refused to play with other children as he feared he may not be there to save her should another fire be lit.
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The Foreign Office said that it was reviewing the case as a “matter of priority,” but played up security concerns.
It added: “There may be British children in camps in Syria who are innocent victims of the conflict. Where we become aware of unaccompanied or orphaned British children in Syria, we will work to facilitate their return, subject to national security considerations.”
However, Labour MP Apsana Begum condemned this as a policy of “separating children from mothers,” putting them in a situation “that no parent should ever have to face.”
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She told The Guardian: “The fact that the government would adopt this brutish approach to tear British families apart shows everything that’s wrong with its counter-productive and unbearably callous policy towards British nationals in north-east Syria.”
Source: arabnews
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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