Half the Iraqis in Syria’s al-Hol camp have been repatriated

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - About half the Iraqi nationals living in al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Rojava) have been repatriated and the majority of them have been rehabilitated, an advisor at the Iraqi National Security Advisory, revealed on Saturday.

“Currently, more than 14,000 Iraqis remain in al-Hol camp,” Saad al-Jayashi told Rudaw, adding that “so far nearly 15,000 have been returned and rehabilitated in Nineveh’s al-Jada camp.”

The return process is carried out with coordination between the Kurdish-led administration in Rojava and the Iraqi government. 

Baghdad is planning to repatriate all its nationals held in camps for people with links to the Islamic State (ISIS) in northeast Syria per an agreement with the United Nations, Iraq’s migration and displaced ministry said in January.

The repatriation of ISIS-linked citizens, however, has sparked opposition. 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.

Returnees are brought to al-Jada camp in Nineveh province where they undergo a rehabilitation process carried out by experts who focus on the psychological health of the people, including many children, with the goal of confronting radical ideologies. 

“Our objective is to return Iraqi families from the [Syrian] camp and integrate them into the society as soon as possible,” Jayashi said. 

“Nearly 10,000 people have been rehabilitated and returned to their provinces. Approximately 5,000 others are being rehabilitated at [al-Jada] camp,” he added.

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.