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| UK to repatriate first citizens from north-eastern Syria | UK to repatriate first citizens from north-eastern Syria |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The UK government is to repatriate the first British citizens from the area of north-eastern Syria formerly under the control of the Islamic State (IS) group, the BBC has learned. | The UK government is to repatriate the first British citizens from the area of north-eastern Syria formerly under the control of the Islamic State (IS) group, the BBC has learned. |
| For security reasons, the BBC cannot provide further details of the repatriation. | For security reasons, the BBC cannot provide further details of the repatriation. |
| The individuals being brought out of the region will be returned to the UK in the coming days. | The individuals being brought out of the region will be returned to the UK in the coming days. |
| The UK has been reluctant to take back citizens from the area. | The UK has been reluctant to take back citizens from the area. |
| IS once controlled 88,000 sq km (34,000 sq miles) of territory stretching from western Syria to eastern Iraq. | |
| The fate of foreign IS fighters and other foreigners caught up in the conflict has been a key issue since the defeat of the extremist group was declared in March 2019. | |
| The United Nations has said countries should take responsibility for their own citizens unless they are to be prosecuted in Syria in accordance with international standards. | The United Nations has said countries should take responsibility for their own citizens unless they are to be prosecuted in Syria in accordance with international standards. |
| Human Rights Watch has described government-facilitated repatriations of foreign nationals as "piecemeal." | Human Rights Watch has described government-facilitated repatriations of foreign nationals as "piecemeal." |
| It says more than 1,200 foreign nationals have been repatriated from both Syria and Iraq to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Russia, Kosovo, and Turkey. | It says more than 1,200 foreign nationals have been repatriated from both Syria and Iraq to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Russia, Kosovo, and Turkey. |