Kazakhstan’s Approach to the Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Child Returnees from Syria and Iraq: Restoring the Rights to Life and Development

This article examines Kazakhstan’s approach to the rehabilitation and reintegration of children repatriated from Syria and Iraq during the Zhusan humanitarian operation. The analysis is based on data gathered through participant observation, conversational interviews with the children themselves, and discussions with an interdisciplinary team of experts involved in the rehabilitation process. Key elements of the Kazakhstani approach include restoring the legal status of these children and their families, implementing strategies to minimise stigmatisation, and supporting their social rehabilitation as a means of reintegrating them into Kazakhstani society. The article highlights both the successes and the effective practices in this process, as well as the challenges faced by the practitioners working with these child returnees. The authors suggest that adding a component focused on building resilience to re-traumatisation, involvement in violent extremism, and criminal behaviour could further enhance the effectiveness of the rehabilitation and reintegration efforts.