The United States has successfully repatriated 11 of its citizens from the overcrowded camps in northeastern Syria that house family members of suspected Islamic State militants, as confirmed by the U.S. State Department on Tuesday. This repatriation marks the largest operation carried out by Washington from these camps to date, according to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Among the 11 citizens brought back, five were children, and an additional non-U.S. citizen child, the 9-year-old sibling of one of the other children, was also included in the repatriation. In a coordinated effort, the U.S. facilitated the return of 11 other camp residents, eight of whom were children, to Canada, the Netherlands, and Finland.
While neighboring Iraq recently repatriated hundreds of its citizens, many countries remain hesitant to bring back their nationals from the al Hol and al Roj camps, which currently hold around 30,000 individuals from over 60 countries, with a majority being children.
These camps are overseen by local authorities affiliated with the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF, along with its allies including U.S.-led coalition forces, successfully defeated the Islamic State group in Syria in 2019, effectively dismantling its self-proclaimed Islamic “caliphate” that once controlled a significant portion of territory spanning Iraq and Syria.
Various human rights organizations have consistently reported on the dire living conditions and alleged abuses within the camps and detention centers where suspected IS members are detained. Blinken emphasized that the most sustainable solution to the humanitarian and security crisis in these facilities is for countries to repatriate, rehabilitate, reintegrate, and, where necessary, ensure accountability for any wrongdoing.
