Baghdad may halt al-Hol repatriations after USAID funding cuts
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Baghdad is considering putting a halt to its repatriation of Iraqi nationals linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) from al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Rojava) due to a lack of funds after Washington suspended foreign aid, a ministry official told Rudaw on Saturday.
Migration and displaced ministry spokesperson Ali Abbas said they lack funds at al-Jada camp in Nineveh province, where repatriated individuals are taken to be prepared for reintegration into their communities.
The “budget issues” arose because organizations operating in Jada rely on funds from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Abbas said.
US President Donald Trump has temporarily suspended funding for the agency as part of his plan to reorganize the government.
The migration and displaced ministry also does not have the necessary funds to run the camp, Abbas said, but added discussions are underway to possibly transfer funds from other government sectors.
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 citizens 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.
On Sunday, Iraq repatriated 155 families from al-Hol.
Migration and displaced ministry spokesperson Ali Abbas said they lack funds at al-Jada camp in Nineveh province, where repatriated individuals are taken to be prepared for reintegration into their communities.
The “budget issues” arose because organizations operating in Jada rely on funds from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Abbas said.
US President Donald Trump has temporarily suspended funding for the agency as part of his plan to reorganize the government.
The migration and displaced ministry also does not have the necessary funds to run the camp, Abbas said, but added discussions are underway to possibly transfer funds from other government sectors.
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 citizens 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.
On Sunday, Iraq repatriated 155 families from al-Hol.