Dutch children who are stuck in camps in Syria because their parents supported IS should be brought back to the Netherlands, the children’s ombudsman says in a new report.

The Dutch government should do all it can to arrange their return because otherwise it is failing to uphold children’s rights, Margrite Kalverboer said on Thursday.

Currently, families who wish to come back to the Netherlands have to report to a Dutch diplomatic mission in either Iraq or Turkey. However, women and children are not allowed to leave the camps, so it is impossible for them to do so, Kalverboer says.

Officials say around 145 children with Dutch nationality or who can make a claim on Dutch nationality are living in the conflict zone.

‘Different sources suggest these children have gone through a terrible time and been exposed to things no child should have to deal with,’ Kalverboer said. ‘These children are being damaged in their development. If parents are not protecting their children, the government should step in.’