Germany and Finland have repatriated five women and 18 children who'd been living in an Islamic State camp in Syria for "humanitarian reasons" - despite the security risk they pose.
The two nations are the only European states willing to take back residents who'd been living in the camps, where many shared homes with members of the jihadist group.
It comes after prolonged calls by human rights organisations urging European countries to take back residents who were placed in the camps after travelling to the region to join the Islamic State.
The organisations argued the longer they stayed in the camps, the higher the risk of them falling ill or becoming further radicalised.
However the vast majority of European nations have opted not to take back citizens who travelled to become part of the terror group, citing security concerns.
However Germany and Finland each confirmed the repatriation of some of their citizens over the weekend. Twelve children and three women were taken back in Germany, while another six kids and two women were brought home to Finland.
Germany's Foreign Office said its joint recovery mission with Finland was made up of "humanitarian cases, especially orphans and children with illnesses - cases in which departure was particularly urgent".
However it's understood many of those taken in were wives and children of Islamic State fighters and sympathisers.
German media says three of the women are being investigated under suspicion of being radicalised IS members themselves, and were arrested upon their arrival at Frankfurt Airport to face terror charges.
Explaining the decision to bring home women who would later be charged, Germany's foreign ministry said it's illegal to repatriate children without their mothers.
Meanwhile, Finland's foreign ministry said it was obligated to "safeguard the basic rights of the Finnish children interned in the camps, insofar as this is possible".
"The camps in north-east Syria constitute a long-term security risk," it said. "The longer the children remain in the camps, without protection and education, the harder it will be to counter radical extremism."
Another 70 German adults and 150 children remain in Syria, German media reports. It's not known if there are other Finns who remain at the camps.
