Following the Turkish military offensive in Northeast Syria, the lives of hundreds of European nationals - men, women and children are at risk. We took the issue to parliament with our documentary Europe's Children of ISIS.
ADVERTISEMENTWhile the Turkish military offensive held fire - MEPs in Strasbourg didn't hold back on what they saw as Europe's failure to act in the region.
"Two grey-haired elder men got together in Moscow and decided to divide a region - because we failed," said MEP Sergey Lagodinsky,
"Because our institutions have failed... where are the comprehensive arms embargo measures? Where are the targeted sanctions we are talking about?"
Spanish MEP Hermann Tertsch told the plenary: "To assume that the Americans would be everywhere with money and sacrificing troops forever, it shows a massive lack of realism, which is something we constantly see in Europe and has no future."
And beyond the political rhetoric, the lives of hundreds of European nationals — men, women and children — stuck in northeast Syria are at risk.
It's an issue not getting much air time in the European Parliament.
"About 7,000 children of IS fighters lived in camps in northern Syria," said British MEP Irina Von Weise.
"Among them, about 700 EU citizens. Many were forced to flee and their fate is now unknown. We cannot abandon these children."
Euronews' documentary on “Europe’s children of ISIS” was screened in Strasbourg. It was an attempt to inform MEPs about a situation national governments have been unable to resolve.
Belgium, Britain, France and Germany are reportedly negotiating the repatriation of children from areas affected by the conflict in north-east Syria, but solutions have not been forthcoming so far.
“The situation has become much more difficult than a few months ago so for me now I think we should talk about a humanitarian corridor - really a humanitarian corridor to help the people in need. And to look for the children and to bring these children in a safe way back," Hilde Vautmans. MEP, told Euronews' Anelise Borges.
Critics say Europe has so far failed to come up with a coordinated response for the situation in Syria. If a resolution will be enough to get European nationals back to their countries of origin is anyone’s guess.