Al-Hol camp in northeast Syria, where thousands of Iraqis have been repatriated in recent years.
Under 4000 remain
Iraq says 20000 citizens repatriated from Syria’s al-Hol camp
BAGHDAD — Around 20,000 Iraqis have been repatriated from the al-Hol camp in northeast Syria, with fewer than 4,000 still inside, Iraq’s Ministry of Migration and Displacement said, describing the return process as the start of a long-term rehabilitation and monitoring effort.
Deputy Minister Karim al-Nouri said all returnees are transferred to the Jadaa Community Rehabilitation Center in Nineveh, where they undergo screening and follow-up procedures before going back to their home areas.
On Monday, 858 Iraqis left al-Hol in Syria’s Hasakah governorate and crossed toward Iraqi territory under strict security measures enforced by U.S.-led coalition forces, the ministry said.
Al-Nouri told the state news agency that the al-Hol camp “forms a dangerous hotspot for the exploitation of ISIS gangs and the development of extremist ideology, making it a time bomb that threatens the security of the region and Iraq.” He said keeping people in an isolated environment “makes them fertile ground for brainwashing,” and described Baghdad’s decision to repatriate those without security concerns as “a brave step” that reflects “a national and humanitarian position.”
He said the latest group of returnees, the 31st wave, arrived on Monday with about 240 families, or roughly 865 people. “The total number of those retrieved has reached more than 20,000 people, and the remaining number of Iraqis inside the camp is less than 4,000 people,” he said.
Al-Nouri stressed that bringing people back is only the start of a longer process. The return operation “does not mean the file is closed,” he said, calling it “the beginning of ongoing procedures and careful monitoring” at Jadaa. He said authorities are working to counter extremist thinking “with the idea of moderation” through rehabilitation programs aimed at women and children, implemented with more than 13 international organizations as well as security bodies, the Health Ministry and the office of the national security adviser.
He said authorities “did not record any security breach in the areas to which these displaced persons returned in Anbar, Salahuddin and Mosul,” and that there is ongoing coordination with local leaders to prepare communities for reintegration. Returnees are sent back to their original districts and neighborhoods “to avoid psychological shock,” he added.
Al-Nouri said Iraq’s approach has encouraged other governments that once hesitated to take back their nationals from al-Hol. “They have now begun withdrawing their nationals after feeling that their presence also poses a danger to them,” he said, urging financial and technical support for Iraq “to end this file that threatens the entire world.”
The Al-Amal Center, affiliated with the Jadaa camp, provides psychological support and social reintegration programs for families returning from al-Hol. Al-Nouri said 18 international organizations, along with the National Security Advisory and relevant ministries, are involved in managing the center’s work.
