At least 12 women from Sweden, most of them jihadi widows, are still stuck in the Middle East, following their spouses' demise. Together, they have about 30 children, ranging from newborns to six-year-olds, Swedish national broadcaster SVT reported.
In the aftermath of their spouses' death and Daesh's massive territorial losses, they are trying to get out of the war-torn Middle East, while their legal status and future remains uncertain.
According to psychologist Yassin Ekdahl, who previously worked for the national coordinator against violent extremism, the so-called "Daesh widows" include both converts to Islam and, young women who went away together with someone they fell in love with or married. Admittedly, some of them were ideologically motivated.
"I do not know how they live now. Some seem to be in prison camps, others are still free and are trying to get out of the country," Ekdahl reported.
READ ALSO: No Respite From Terror Threat in Sweden Despite Fewer Jihadis Returning
Of the roughly 30 children, of whom Yassin Ekdahl is aware, many have been born in Daesh's self-proclaimed "caliphate." The children lack Swedish IDs or passports, which poses an extra difficulty for their mothers to return officially.
Ekdahl, who maintains contact with the families of "jihadi widows'" in Sweden, argued that their relatives in Sweden continue to express concern over their choice to join the world's most nefarious terrorist organization. Moreover, their anxiety skyrocketed when the decisive offensive against Raqqa started.
"Absolutely not. The real radicals would have never contacted me. Also, they would never have listened to the authorities," Ekdahl said.
Should the "jihadi widows" ever succeed in reaching Sweden, they are most likely to go unpunished, as they traveled down to the Middle East before April 2016, when the law on the prohibition of "terrorist travels" was first introduced.
READ ALSO: Sweden's Dilemma: 'Failed to React on Islamist Threat' to 'Avoid Racism Stigma'
