Judges in Utrecht, the Netherlands, said the two children who went into hiding after facing deportation to Armenia can be sent back to their mother’s home country, despite never having lived there and not speaking the language, reported DutchNews.nl.

The court on Tuesday upheld former justice minister Klaas Dijkhoff’s decision not to give the children a residency permit on the basis of “temporary humanitarian grounds,” clearing the way for them to be deported.

Armina Hambartsjumian, the mother of Lily (11) and Howick (12), was sent back to Armenia in August last year after sending the children to a secret address. They were found a week later and since then have been in the care of an independent foundation which looks after child refugees.