Syria’s Al-Hol departures: Hundreds of Iraqis to return home
Shafaq News/ Nearly 200 Iraqi families are preparing to leave Syria’s Al-Hol camp for Iraq on Saturday, with around 700 individuals expected in the group, a local source told Shafaq News on Friday.
Escorted by US forces, Iraqi buses crossed into Syria to transport the families to Al-Jada'a camp in Iraq’s Nineveh province. All logistical arrangements were finalized in coordination with the Iraqi government, the source noted.
The number of returnees may reportedly fluctuate as some individuals delay departure to avoid being separated from relatives.
One Iraqi refugee from Al-Hol, who requested anonymity, criticized the cancellation of the family-linking policy, which once allowed relatives to leave the camp together. "The new system has led to individual exit approvals, separating families and forcing many to decline departures," she told our agency. The refugee personally turned down a previous opportunity to return after receiving approval without her elderly parents or her sister, who cares for three children.
A security source in Nineveh said another group of families linked to ISIS is expected to arrive at Al-Jada'a early next week. Preparations for their reception are ongoing, although the exact number and provincial origins remain unclear. The transfer is being coordinated with relevant security and governmental authorities.
On March 15, Iraq repatriated 161 families—607 individuals—in the sixth transfer of 2025 and the 23rd since coordination began with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Roughly half of the Iraqi nationals in Al-Hol have now been returned, of which Saad Al-Jayashi, an advisor at the Iraqi National Security Advisory, said nearly 15,000 have been rehabilitated at Al-Jada'a, while over 14,000 remain in the camp.
The Iraqi government has emphasized the need to reintegrate returnees into society. However, the return of families with suspected ties to ISIS has triggered opposition, particularly in areas like Nineveh, where tribal communities suffered heavy losses during the group’s occupation.
