Iraq repatriates over 800 citizens from Syria’s al-Hol camp

Shafaq News – Baghdad/Damascus

On Thursday, Iraq repatriated more than 800 of its citizens from Syria’s al-Hol camp in the latest phase of a coordinated return effort, according to a senior camp official.

Shukri al-Hajji, Head of the camp’s Departure Office, told Shafaq News that the group included 233 families totaling 812 people, transferred under heavy protection by the Global Coalition, noting that returns are coordinated between the Iraqi government and the Autonomous Administration in northeast Syria.

This marks the 11th repatriation of the year and the 28th since Iraq began retrieving its nationals from the facility in 2021. Earlier waves saw 935 returns in June and 865 in April, bringing the total number of repatriated Iraqis to 15,000. Of those, 10,000 have been reintegrated into their home communities, while around 5,000 remain in rehabilitation programs at al-Jadaa camp near Mosul.

Returnees are temporarily housed and processed at al-Jadaa before rejoining society. However, the program has faced opposition in areas like Nineveh, where some residents have raised concerns over the return of families linked to ISIS.