While the European Parliament specifically called on the member states to identify children born to European jihadis and return them to their respective countries in Europe, this topic polarized opinions in Denmark, with some believing these children, whose very number remains unknown, simply aren't Denmark's responsibility.
The future of children born to Denmark's “foreign fighters,” that is, jihadists who left the Scandinavian country to fight for the Islamists' cause in the Middle East, has become a hot topic for debate. While some politicians argue that they have become “as brainwashed and their parents,” others insist that they remain Danish citizens and have the same rights, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten reported.
While the Immigration and Integration Ministry stresses that the so-called “children of the caliphate” are Danish citizens and have the same rights as ordinary Danish kids, the Justice Ministry and the Security and Intelligence Service (PET) both regard them as a threat.
Lawyer Bjørn Elmquist, who chairs the Danish Bar Association, argued that the issue of citizenship is clear and that Denmark has a legal obligation to help “Daesh* children.” Even if the Danish authorities are physically removed from the area, the principle of force majeure still applies, he argued. Elmquist even emphasized that the Danish authorities may take the children away, if this perspective is deemed to suit them best, especially if their…
