An eight-year-old Danish boy, who has been interned at the al-Roj camp in Syria since 2019, is now set to be offered evacuation along with his mother by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Udenrigsministeriet). This decision comes from the Supreme Court of Denmark (Højesteret), as stated on the court’s website. The ruling means that all Danish children will now be evacuated from the camps in Syria.

The recent ruling contradicts earlier decisions made by both the District Court (byret) and the High Court (landsret), both of which had supported the state’s position that the boy’s mother should not be brought back, as she does not hold Danish citizenship. Lawyer Christian Dahlager, who has represented the boy and his mother, expressed great satisfaction with the Supreme Court’s decision. “This is a significant day. I am proud and happy that we have succeeded. The boy’s family is thrilled, and it is a wonderful day for everyone,” said Christian Dahlager.

The Supreme Court justified its decision by stating that failing to offer the boy evacuation alongside his mother would constitute a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. The ruling affirms that assisting with the evacuation would not impose an unreasonable burden on the state and emphasizes that the boy cannot realistically be evacuated without his mother.

The Danish Health Authority (Sundhedsstyrelsen) has previously described the boy’s deteriorating health condition as extremely concerning and has recommended urgent evacuation. According to the medical team, the boy suffers from respiratory, ear, nose, and throat issues and also exhibits signs of anxiety and depression.

Until now, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had offered to evacuate the boy without his mother, who lost her Danish citizenship in 2020 due to her travel to Syria in 2014. The mother, who also holds Somali citizenship, had previously been excluded from the evacuation process.

The organization Repatriate the Children – Denmark has criticized the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ previous decisions and has filed a lawsuit against the state on behalf of the boy and his mother. Initially, the case involved three children and their two mothers, but one mother and her two children were brought back to Denmark when the government changed its stance in June 2023.

The boy was the last Danish minor in the camp, and following the Supreme Court’s ruling, he is now also set to be evacuated with his mother.