12,000 Iraqis returned from Al-Hol camp in Syria
Al-Araji's remarks took place during a speech at a conference held jointly with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Germany to mark the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism.
Al-Araji explained that the Iraqi government is committed to repatriating approximately 16,000 Iraqi citizens who are still in the Al-Hol camp so they can participate in community and psychological rehabilitation programs before they are sent back to their original areas or residences, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.
The US army and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are in charge of the Al-Hol camp, which is situated in the Syrian countryside of Al-Hasakah, close to the Iraqi border.
The Al-Hol camp is home to around 43,000 individuals from 45 different countries; the majority of them are ISIS members' wives and children, according to statistics made public by the camp management.
Families of displaced Syrians and Iraqis, some of whom are still in contact with ISIS, are also housed at the camp, in addition to the estimated 10,000 foreign families of fighters.
Before being defeated in 2017, the terrorist organization ISIS seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014.
In 2014, ISIS took control of the provinces of Nineveh, Salah Al-Din, areas of Kirkuk, Diyala, and Anbar, forcing nearly five million Iraqis to evacuate.
Before being allowed to return to their home areas, these families are first kept at the Al-Jadaa camp, where they undergo security screening and psychological rehabilitation, according to Iraqi officials. This is done to try to reduce the hostility these families could face when they return.
Iraq is one of the few countries that regularly repatriates its citizens from Al-Hol, a practice praised by the United Nations and the United States.
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