ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq and Syria have formed a joint committee to facilitate the return of around 10,000 Iraqi citizens currently in Syria, including people who had previously lived in the notorious al-Hol camp, according to Iraq’s Ministry of Migration and Displacement.
“A joint committee between the Iraqi and Syrian governments has been formed to return approximately 10,000 Iraqi citizens from Syria, including those who were previously in al-Hol camp,” Ali Jahangir, spokesperson for the ministry, told Rudaw on Monday.
Jahangir said discussions between the two sides are ongoing, but no final timeline has been agreed upon.
“The committees from both sides are in constant communication and holding meetings, but the timing and logistics for repatriating these Iraqi citizens from Syria have not yet been finalized,” he said.
The move comes as Iraq continues efforts to retrieve its citizens previously held in Syria’s al-Hol camp, which housed families linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) for several years. Since 2023, Iraq has repatriated more than 21,000 Iraqi citizens, most of whom were relatives of suspected ISIS members, through 33 separate convoys.
Before any return takes place, Iraqi security agencies will conduct comprehensive screenings of families to ensure none of the individuals is wanted by the Iraqi judiciary.
Jahangir added that the Ministry of Migration and Displacement has completed all necessary preparations for the repatriation process.
Located in Syria’s northeastern province of Hasaka, al-Hol camp came under the control of the Syrian army in January after previously being administered by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
At the time, more than 80 Iraqi families connected to ISIS militants were living in the camp before relocating to other Syrian cities.
In February, Syrian authorities closed the camp after transferring all of its residents, ending years of controversy surrounding the facility that housed families and relatives of ISIS fighters.
The camp held about 24,000 people, the majority Syrians and Iraqis, along with more than 6,000 foreign nationals from around 40 countries. Over the years, the camp drew international criticism over deteriorating humanitarian conditions and fears that it had become a breeding ground for extremism.
Despite the relocation of al-Hol camp residents, the mid-January attacks by the Syrian army and allied armed groups against the SDF triggered ISIS prison breaks, prompting the transfer of over 5,700 prisoners to Iraq under US military supervision.
Hastyar Qadir contributed to this report.
