The Supreme Court of Denmark has made a crucial decision to evacuate an eight-year-old Danish boy and his mother from the al-Roj detention camp in Syria to Denmark, a move that Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (Moderate Party) acknowledges. This ruling contradicts previous decisions by both the city and high courts, which had supported the state’s position that the boy’s mother, who does not hold Danish citizenship, should not be allowed to return to Denmark.

Lars Løkke Rasmussen stated that he respects the Supreme Court’s final ruling, despite it being reached with dissenting opinions among the judges. He emphasized that there is no authority above the Supreme Court, and thus the decision will be implemented. The Foreign Ministry had earlier proposed to evacuate the boy without his mother, based on urgent recommendations from a medical group within the Danish Health Authority, which had highlighted a concerning deterioration in the boy’s health, including respiratory issues, anxiety, and depression.

The mother’s Danish citizenship was revoked by immigration authorities in 2020 due to her travel to Syria in 2014. The situation involving Danish children in Syrian detention camps has long been a politically contentious issue. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (Social Democrats) has traditionally opposed the return of both the children and their mothers to Denmark.

As Foreign Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen has sought to leverage his position to shift the government’s stance, which led to the offer of evacuation for some children. He acknowledged this initiative and concluded without further comments regarding the Supreme Court’s recent decision.