SDF chief calls for repatriation of foreign nationals ahead of coalition meeting

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The head of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, has called on the Global Coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) to help in the repatriation of foreign locals held in northeast Syria (Rojava) ahead of the coalition’s ministerial meeting in Italy on Monday.

“The anti-ISIS Coalition will meet tomorrow to discuss progress towards the enduring defeat of ISIS. To ensure sustainable victory, we must not forget that tens of thousands of women, children, and ISIS fighters remain in SDF-NES IDP camps and detention centers,” Abdi tweeted early on Monday morning.

“We call on the Coalition to help return these people to their home countries, fund education and de-radicalization programs, and support stability and strong economic recovery in the liberated areas to address the root causes of extremism,” he added.

More than eighty ministers from coalition member states are expected to meet later in the day to discuss the developments in the war against terror.

Rojava authorities have repeatedly called on governments to take responsibility for their citizens, but most Western nations are reluctant to repatriate nationals who may be a security risk due to their links with ISIS. Most countries repatriate on a case-by-case basis, prioritizing children.

Earlier this month, the Netherlands repatriated four of its nationals from Roj camp.

Repatriations are arranged with visiting foreign delegations, but ISIS fighters and women who have committed crimes will not be handed over, and children will not be allowed to leave without the consent of their mothers, Abdulkarim Omar, who co-chairs Rojava’s foreign relations department, told Rudaw English earlier this month.

There have been 660 repatriations from Rojava camps so far this year, Rojava Information Center (RIC) said on June 5, adding that the numbers are “set to surpass any other year since 2017.”

The United Nations and human rights organisations have condemned governments for failing to repatriate the 43,000 foreign nationals "unlawfully held" in northeast Syria.

Kurdish authorities in Rojava have struggled to manage tens of thousands of suspected ISIS fighters and their families, held in several camps since the terror group was militarily defeated in 2019.

The largest camp, al-Hol, hosts just under 60,000 people. Most are family members of suspected ISIS fighters.