Al-Hol exodus: +950 Iraqis set to return home

Shafaq News/ Iraq is preparing to repatriate its largest group of citizens from Syria’s Al-Hol camp, security sources revealed to Shafaq News on Saturday.

The group includes around 250 families, or nearly 950 individuals, many of them women and children.

The transfer was originally scheduled for last week but was postponed due to regional instability following heightened tensions between Iran and Israel. With conditions now stabilized, preparations for the operation have resumed.

Earlier today, around 30 Iraqi buses crossed into Syrian territory ahead of the transfer, which is expected to begin on Sunday morning.

Notably, Al-Hol camp, located in Syria’s northeastern Al-Hasakah province, hosts tens of thousands of individuals, including relatives of suspected Islamic State members.

Since 2021, Iraq has carried out repatriation efforts that have brought back more than 15,000 citizens. Returnees are initially processed at Jadaa camp, where they undergo psychological and social rehabilitation programs before reintegration into their communities.

The program has drawn criticism from some segments of the local population, particularly in Nineveh, where families of Islamic State victims have expressed concerns over the return of displaced individuals from Al-Hol.

Two major repatriation operations were carried out earlier in 2025. In one, 241 families—totaling 865 individuals—were returned under increased security measures. Another, in May, involved the transfer of 223 families, or 832 individuals, from Al-Hol to Iraq. More than 12,600 Iraqi nationals remain at the camp, awaiting future repatriation.