Shafaq News – Baghdad / Damascus
Around 18,000 Iraqis have been transferred from Syria’s al-Hol camp, which houses families linked to ISIS, to al-Jadaa camp in Nineveh province, Iraq’s Ministry of Migration and Displacement announced on Saturday.
Al-Hol currently hosts more than 13,000 Iraqi refugees, about 16,000 displaced Syrians, and over 6,000 women and children from foreign families affiliated with ISIS.
Ministry spokesperson Ali Abbas Jahangir told Shafaq News that the most recent group—223 families numbering 839 people, mostly women and children—returned on June 28, 2025, leaving fewer than 5,000 Iraqis in the camp.
According to Jahangir, men account for about 20 percent of those moved to al-Jadaa (also known as al-Amal), while children, who make up 65 percent of al-Hol’s population, are divided into two age groups: infants to age five, and adolescents aged 12 to 18.
Jahangir stressed that Iraq remains committed to relocating its nationals and urged other countries with citizens in al-Hol to do the same. “Some countries have responded, but others have taken no action regarding their citizens in the camp,” he remarked.
The ministry’s mission, the spokesperson noted, will conclude once all Iraqis are returned and the camp is either closed or repurposed, a decision that ultimately rests with Damascus.
Sources familiar with the relocation process told our agency that arrivals undergo strict screening, including identity checks and background investigations, before being placed in community reintegration programs. They added that some families require extensive support to overcome extremist indoctrination, especially youth who grew up amid violence, loss, and hardship inside the camp.
Al-Hol has also faced repeated security breaches. On September 3, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), supported by the Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish), reported foiling a mass escape attempt by 56 people. A joint operation with the Global Coalition was launched the following day to restore order.
Since 2021, Iraq—backed by international partners—has pursued a phased plan to repatriate its citizens from al-Hol. The effort has faced objections from families of ISIS victims in Nineveh, who fear the reintegration of returnees into their communities.