Iraq to Host Geneva Conference on Repatriation of al-Hol Camp Families

Iraq to Host Geneva Conference on Repatriation of al-Hol Camp Families
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The Iraqi government announced plans to hold a conference in Geneva this September aimed at facilitating the repatriation of families linked to ISIS from the al-Hol camp in northeast Syria, Rudaw reported. Qasim al-Araji, Iraq’s national security advisor, discussed the issue with Steve Fagin, the new US Embassy charge d’affaires in Baghdad.

Al-Hol camp, controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), currently houses approximately 34,927 people, including 15,681 Iraqis, 15,861 Syrians, and 6,385 foreigners. Around 10,000 Iraqis remain in the camp after a group of 832 recently departed.

Thousands of individuals with suspected ISIS ties are held in al-Hol and the nearby Roj camp. Iraq has been repatriating its nationals in groups to al-Jada camp near Mosul, where they undergo rehabilitation before reintegration.

Baghdad aims to repatriate all Iraqi citizens from these camps by 2027, with the upcoming Geneva conference expected to boost cooperation and progress in this effort.