Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced today that Finland would assist in the repatriation of some 30 Finnish children in the al-Hol camp in Syria, according to Yle. She said that Finland had no obligation to help the mothers.
While the announcement was expected after President Sauli Niinistö stated his view on the matter Sunday, it’s clear that the decision by the government is political.
University of Helsinki family law researcher, Sanna Mustasaari, warned about the danger of mixing politics with the al-Hol children’s welfare.
“The mothers weren’t helped because it was [a] political [decision],” she said on Yle’s A-Studio, adding that “under no circumstances” should the child welfare authorities, in searching for legal reasons to help the child, allow politics to influence their decision.