Al-Hol Camp: Repatriation Efforts and Challenges for Former IS Families

The al-Hol camp, a site in northeastern Syria that housed families of suspected Islamic State members, is largely deserted following recent repatriations, officials reported Friday. Hundreds of women and children were transferred to their countries or other facilities.

Efforts to repatriate these individuals to Iraq are part of the Syrian government's broader strategy to deal with those connected to the extremist group, which was defeated in 2019. Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, representing the U.N. refugee agency in Syria, announced the return of 191 Iraqi citizens to Iraq from al-Hol on Thursday, indicating a significant decline in the camp's population.

Al-Hol once housed around 73,000 individuals, primarily Syrians and Iraqis but also thousands from other nations. The facility, historically serving as de facto detention, saw its numbers reduced significantly following repatriations and relocations, including 600 Syrians moved to another camp in Aleppo. The process highlights the intricate challenge of managing the aftermath of the Islamic State's presence in the region.