Baghdad, Iraq- Iraq’s National Security Adviser, Qasim Al-Araji, announced that 12,000 Iraqi citizens have been repatriated from the Al-Hol refugee camp in Syria since May 2021. This was revealed during a speech at a conference held in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Germany, which also marked the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as conducive to terrorism.
Al-Araji emphasized that the Iraqi government is committed to bringing back approximately 16,000 Iraqi citizens still in the Al-Hol camp. These individuals will undergo community and psychological rehabilitation programs before being returned to their home areas.
The Al-Hol camp, located in the Al-Hasakah region of Syria near the Iraqi border, is currently managed by the U.S. Army and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). It hosts around 43,000 people from 45 countries, with the majority being the wives and children of ISIS members. The camp also houses families of displaced Syrians and Iraqis, some of whom maintain links with ISIS, as well as about 10,000 foreign families of fighters.
ISIS took control of large territories in both Syria and Iraq in 2014, displacing millions. In Iraq, areas such as Nineveh, Salah Al-Din, parts of Kirkuk, Diyala, and Anbar were heavily affected, forcing nearly five million Iraqis to flee.
Before being allowed to return home, repatriated families are temporarily housed at the Al-Jadaa camp, where they undergo security screenings and psychological rehabilitation. These steps aim to ease their reintegration into society and reduce the risk of hostility upon their return.
Iraq is one of the few countries actively repatriating citizens from Al-Hol, a practice that has been commended by both the United Nations and the United States.
