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At least 250 French children are reportedly still stranded in IDP camps in northeastern Syria (illustration). REUTERS / Ali Hashisho

According to the UN, more than 7 million children are deprived of their liberty in the world, perpetrators of crimes, victims of conflicts and armed groups, migrants on the roads of exile. The United Nations is worried about the massive violations of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the text, in particular on the fate of French children prisoners in Syria.

With our correspondent in Geneva, Jérémie Lanche

The Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by all countries except the United States, is clear: no child can be deprived of liberty arbitrarily, or as a last resort and for as short a period as possible.

From this point of view, France is not honoring its commitments by leaving hundreds of French children detained in camps in Syrian Kurdistan.

" The Kurdish authorities would be delighted to be able to get rid of these children and see them return to their countries of origin. [The problem] is rather the reluctance of European countries to do so. Especially those who seek to remove the dual nationality of some children so as not to be responsible [for their fate]. But I did not hear that the repatriation of these children would pose major security problems , "commented Manfred Novak, the UN's independent expert on the deprivation of children's liberty.

► See also: Return of jihadist children to France, an unprecedented judicial debate

This is however the opinion of the French Minister of Foreign Affairs. Jean-Yves le Drian believes that the return of jihadist children is difficult because it is a war zone. Paris favors returns on a case by case basis. At least 250 French children, the majority of whom are under the age of five, are still stuck in camps in northeastern Syria.

■ More than 100,000 children detained in the United States

The detention policy of migrant minors in the United States in the UN viewfinder. More than 100,000 children are detained, according to the United Nations, some separated from their families. It's more than in any other country. Figures that are in fact only an estimate, the authorities refused to respond to the UN inquiry on children deprived of freedom in the world. For Manfred Novak, the Trump administration clearly violates international law.

" Unfortunately, the United States is the only country that has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. But they have adhered to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture. The way in which the United States has [arrested and] separated migrant children from their parents, just to deter irregular immigration from Central America, to me is a case of inhuman and degrading treatment. So I am convinced that it is a violation of international law. But the United States is not the only one to violate international law. China and Russia do not have very high standards in terms of human rights. This is the limit of the UN. The Security Council can not take sanctions against one of its permanent members. "

In all, at least 330,000 children are detained in 80 countries for reasons related to migration.

→ See also: United States: the country will allow the unlimited detention of migrant children