Danish children abducted....

And, are now in Arab countries!

At least 81 children with close relations to Denmark are currently abroad after being abducted by a parent, according to JydskeVestkysten.

Seventy-three of them are in countries such as Syria, Lebanon and Somalia, none of whom are parties to the convention that requires them to return children that have been illegally taken out of Denmark.

The Foreign Ministry has received a large number of new cases following the summer vacations, with the 73 children in question having been abducted predominantly to Arab countries. The 2009 figure is an increase of almost 75 percent on autumn 2007 figures when 42 children were abducted.

“In about half of the cases we are able to get the children back again within a year – but it can also take a lot longer,” says Foreign Ministry Head of Section Jette Samuel Jeppesen.

Family Agency Head of Section Mariam Khalil tells JydskeVestkysten that most of the abductions take place in connection with parental separations or divorces in which one of the parents wants to take the children to their country of origin.