Iraq nears complete repatriation of over 13,000 Iraqis from al-Hol Camp

Iraq's National Security Advisor has stated that his country is close to completing the evacuation of all Iraqi citizens residing in al-Hol Camp in North and East Syria, as the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria continues to organize return trips for those wishing to go back to Iraq. According to statistics, more than 13,000 Iraqis remain in the camp.

5 August, 2025 15:26

NEWSDESK

Qasim al-Araji, Iraq’s National Security Advisor, said that the number of Iraqis still in al-Hol Camp, located in the countryside of the Jazira Canton in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, is now “very small,” and that the Iraqi government is working to complete their evacuation and bring an end to their presence in the camp.

ANHA agency monitored the departure of a new group organized by the Autonomous Administration last week, the 11th trip this year, which included 233 Iraqi families, totaling 812 individuals, from the camp to Iraq.

In statements reported by the Iraqi News Agency, al-Araji added that Iraq is encouraging other countries to follow its example and evacuate their citizens from the camp.

According to the latest statistics issued by the camp administration, al-Hol Camp houses approximately 13,000 Iraqis, 15,000 Syrians, and 6,385 women and children from the families of foreign ISIS mercenaries. It is considered one of the most dangerous camps in the world.

Since 2021, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria has been coordinating with the Iraqi government and the International Coalition against ISIS to facilitate the return of Iraqi residents from al-Hol Camp who wish to go back to their homeland.

For its part, Iraq’s Ministry of Migration and Displacement confirmed that it has repatriated around 15,000 Iraqis from the camp as part of a plan to close the file on external displacement. The ministry noted that 10,000 of those returnees have gone back to their original areas after completing rehabilitation programs, while approximately 5,000 remain in al-Jadaa Camp south of Mosul to continue psychological and social rehabilitation and undergo security screening.

It is worth noting that al-Hol Camp, run by the Autonomous Administration, houses tens of thousands of women and children of ISIS members and has been the subject of repeated warnings due to the security threat it poses both locally and internationally.

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ANHA