ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s migration and displaced ministry said on Wednesday that the repatriation of nationals linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) from al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Rojava) has been suspended.
Ministry spokesperson Ali Abbas told Rudaw that repatriations from the notorious camp have been suspended for the next four to six months.
He said that the process will resume once the rehabilitation program for returnees, carried out in al-Jada camp in Iraq’s northern Nineveh province, is completed, adding that 3,500 nationals are currently in the rehabilitation process.
According to the latest statistics from the ministry, more than 20,000 Iraqis, including women and children, remain in al-Hol camp. Baghdad had set 2027 as the deadline to finish returning all its nationals from the camp.
Iraqis and Syrians make up the majority of the 40,000 ISIS-linked people being held at the camp, which has been branded a breeding ground for terrorism.
The repatriation of ISIS-linked citizens has sparked opposition in Iraq. Some tribes and communities are unwilling to accept people associated with the group that committed heinous human rights abuses and war crimes from 2014 to 2017, when they controlled vast swathes of the country.
Others argue that reintegration should be considered for families of ISIS members, especially those who were not directly involved in severe crimes.
Nahro Mohammed contributed to this report.
