Damascus and Kurdish-led SDF begin co-ordination on return of Syrians from ISIS-linked camps
Syria's new ruling authorities have begun co-ordinating with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who control the north-east of the country, regarding the return of Syrians held in Al Hol camp for ISIS-linked prisoners and their families, its director Jihan Hanan told The National.
On Saturday, a Syrian government delegation visited the Al Hol camp for the first time, paving the way for the first-ever return of detainees.
'Syrians in our camp are from areas under government control, like Idlib, Aleppo, Damascus, and need to return to their homes in co-ordination with the government in Damascus. We're meeting with the delegation to determine a mechanism. Co-ordination between us and them is necessary,' she said.
Al Hol is part of a network of camps and prisons run by Kurdish-led authorities in north-east Syria. Earlier in May, US President Donald Trump called on Syrian interim President Ahmad Al Shara to take responsibility for ISIS detention centers in the region.
Ms Hanan denied speculation that the visit was related to the handover of the camp to the new Syrian authorities.
'The delegation was here regarding the return of the Syrians, not the handover of the camp,' she said.
'It's a voluntary return, if they want to come back, it will happen through co-ordination with the new authorities.'
In March, the Syrian government reached a breakthrough agreement with the SDF to integrate most civilian and military institutions in north-east Syria, including border crossings, the airport, and oil and gas fields, under the control of the new central government. The deal has yet to be implemented.
The vast majority of the camp's 37,000 residents are women and children, including nationals from Western countries. Originally established for Iraqi and Syrian civilians fleeing the war against ISIS, the camp's population surged following the the extremist group's defeat in Baghouz in 2019. As a result, it hosts both war displaced and suspected ISIS families.
Asked about the mechanism and who would be eligible for return, Mr Haana said the details had yet to be determined.
The National visited the sprawling camp in February, where thousands live in dire conditions, further threatened by looming aid cuts. Amid the deteriorating situation, Iraq has also launched a repatriation programme, which it says will be completed by 2027.
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