Al-Hol Camp's future: Iraq to convene Geneva conference

Shafaq News/ The Iraqi government is set to host a conference in Geneva this September regarding Syria’s Al-Hol camp, National Security Advisor (NSA) Qasim Al-Araji announced on Tuesday during his meeting with US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Steven Fagin in Baghdad.

According to a statement from the NSA, Al-Araji confirmed that the Geneva conference will focus on returning camp residents to their countries of origin. He also reiterated Iraq’s support for a negotiated agreement between Iran and the United States through dialogue.

Since 2021, the Iraqi government—working alongside international organizations—has begun repatriating Iraqi families from Al-Hol to Iraq, where they are received at the Jadaa camp for psychological and social rehabilitation. However, the process has faced repeated objections, particularly from families of ISIS victims in Nineveh who fear the return of these individuals to their communities.

For his part, Fagin praised the Iraqi government’s proactive role in managing both internal and external challenges, the statement noted.

Both sides discussed recent regional and international developments and reaffirmed their support for stability in Syria.

They also stressed the need to activate the Strategic Framework Agreement signed between Iraq and the United States and to promote investment in Iraq, affirming that the Inherent Resolve mission (the US military's operational name for the global war against ISIS) would proceed according to the agreed timeline between the Iraqi government and the International Coalition.