Deal reached for twice-monthly return of Iraqi families from al-Hol camp
Shafaq News – Baghdad/Damascus
Iraq and the Kurdish-run autonomous administration in northeast Syria have agreed to resume the return for Iraqis at al-Hol camp, scheduling two voluntary trips each month, a source familiar with the process informed Shafaq News on Sunday.
The agreement forms part of a coordinated effort to accelerate the evacuation of Iraqi nationals from al-Hol camp, located in Syria’s al-Hasakah province, and to streamline their transfer based on organized schedules and official name lists, the source explained, adding that the camp’s authorities finalized the list for an upcoming trip earlier this month, and are currently awaiting confirmation from the Iraqi side regarding the departure date.
The timing and frequency of the return journeys hinge largely on Iraq’s logistical readiness at Jadaa camp in Nineveh province, the designated reception and reintegration site for returnees, the source explained.
While some trips have recently faced delays due to mounting pressure on Jadaa’s capacity, the source indicated that a new convoy is expected to head toward Iraq later this week.
On June 22, the largest single group of Iraqi returnees to date—935 individuals from 236 families—departed al-Hol for Iraq. This movement followed a series of earlier returns over the past year, including 223 families (832 people) last year and 241 families (865 people) in mid-April 2024.
Earlier, Ali Abbas, spokesperson for Iraq’s Ministry of Migration and Displacement, confirmed that approximately 16,000 Iraqi citizens have been repatriated from al-Hol since the process began, distributed across 28 organized convoys.
He added that about 15,000 Iraqis remain in the camp, with additional groups expected to return in the coming days. Revealing an agreement between the Iraqi government and the United Nations to complete the repatriation of all Iraqi families from al-Hol by the end of 2027, Abbas ensured that no Iraqis would remain in the camp beyond that deadline.
