Date: 26 September 2025
Category: Peace and Security
Six years after the territorial defeat of ISIL (Daesh), tens of thousands of people with alleged or actual ties to the terrorist group remain in detention camps across northeast Syria. The United Nations is warning that deteriorating conditions in these facilities present a growing humanitarian and security crisis that could destabilize the region and beyond.
A Humanitarian and Security Emergency
The largest of these facilities, Al-Hol camp, currently holds more than 30,000 people, including suspected foreign terrorist fighters and their families. Strikingly, 60 per cent are children, the majority under the age of 12. Foreign nationals number around 8,500 individuals from over 62 countries.
Conditions in the camps are described as dire and alarming. Detainees face prolonged detention without legal process, women and girls are exposed to sexual violence, and children lack basic necessities and access to education. The UN cautions that these circumstances risk transforming the camps into “incubators of terrorist radicalization”.
Iraq Takes the Lead
Iraq has emerged as a regional leader in repatriation efforts. Since 2021, more than 17,000 Iraqi nationals have been returned home through a comprehensive operation that integrates security, legal, and humanitarian support.
President Abdul Latif Rashid reaffirmed Iraq’s commitment:
“Our aim is to reintegrate them into their communities and ensure a safe future and dignified life in their country.”
He also called on the international community to “turn the page on this inhumane chapter” and ensure all camps are emptied by the end of the year.
A Narrowing Window for Action
According to UN officials, political developments in Syria — including the fall of the Assad regime last December and an agreement signed in March between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — have created a window of opportunity to advance solutions.
However, this opportunity is fleeting. As UN Under-Secretary-General Guy Ryder warned:
“Whilst the situation in northeast Syria grows more complex with increasing volatility, Daesh attacks and limited humanitarian access, Member States have new avenues now to engage directly with stakeholders. But that window can quickly narrow, and inaction would carry serious consequences.”
Beyond Repatriation
UN officials stress that repatriation alone is not enough. It must be followed by:
- Accountability for crimes committed,
- Rehabilitation and reintegration programs tailored to returnees, and
- Justice for victims and survivors of terrorism.
As Acting Under-Secretary-General Alexandre Zouev emphasized, without such measures the cycle of violence cannot be broken.
