Thousands of Iraqis to be repatriated from al-Hol in the coming days: Kurdish official

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The Iraqi government has agreed to repatriate around 2,500 of its citizens from the notorious al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Rojava),  a Kurdish official from Rojava told Rudaw English on Wednesday. 

Sheikhmus Ahmed, who supervises the administration of Rojava’s IDP and refugee camps, told Rudaw English that an Iraqi humanitarian organization has begun registering Iraqis at al-Hol camp to facilitate their repatriation.

According to Ahmed, 500 Iraqi families - or 2,500 people -  will be repatriated to Iraq in a phased operation. The first group will return to Iraq next week. 

“It has obtained the approval of the Iraqi government and is coordinating with the Autonomous Administration [of North and East Syria or NES] and the SDF,” he said, referring to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces that control Rojava. 

“This time it is serious, and it will happen,” he said, adding the decision is the result of pressure from the global coalition against ISIS.

Camp official Munir Mohamed told Hawar News Agency (ANHA) on Wednesday that they are verifying the identities of the Iraqis who will leave the camp after receiving permission from security forces, saying 100 families will leave “in the coming days.”

Rudaw English contacted Iraqi Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Ahmed al-Sahaf who was unavailable for comment. 

Iraqi officials have staunchly opposed the repatriation of their nationals in the past.

Fabrizio Carboni, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) regional director for the Middle East, told Reuters in March 2019 that 20,000 Iraqis in Syria would return home – but the repatriation never took place.

Al-Hol houses an estimated 61,000 people from dozens of countries, the majority of whom are family members of suspected Islamic State (ISIS) fighters.

According to data provided to Rudaw English by Ahmed, there are more than 30,000 Iraqis in the camp.

Tens of Iraqis have been killed in the camp since the beginning of the year, in a spate of violence which has prompted outcry from human rights groups and foreign politicians.

Forty-five people have been murdered at al-Hol since January 1, according to data provided to Rudaw English by local monitor the Rojava Information Centre (RIC).