Baghdad, Iraq – The U.S. chargé d’affaires in Iraq, Steven Fagin, announced today that an international conference will soon be held in New York with the goal of urging countries to repatriate their nationals from al-Hol camp in Syria’s northeast.
Fagin said the conference seeks to “bring the al-Hol file to a full and final close,” according to remarks reported by Shafaq News.
The announcement came during Fagin’s meeting with Iraq’s National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji, where the two officials also discussed the recently signed Iraq-Iran security agreement, as well as cooperation on counterterrorism, intelligence sharing, and border security.
Al-Araji’s office noted in a statement that Iraq’s security policies are guided by its national interests and sovereignty, including commitments to prevent smuggling and infiltration along its borders.
Al-Hol camp, located on the southern outskirts of the town of al-Hawl near the Syria-Iraq border, houses thousands displaced during the conflict with the Islamic State (ISIS). While it is formally under the control of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), U.S. officials say that ISIS elements maintain significant influence inside the camp, using it as a hub for indoctrination and recruitment.
Read also: British Delegation Receives Child from ISIS Families in Northeast Syria
Fagin reaffirmed U.S. support for Baghdad’s “balanced” approach to domestic and foreign policy and praised Iraqi efforts to repatriate displaced persons and reintegrate them.
On Friday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) highlighted Iraq’s progress in returning more than 25,000 Iraqi citizens from camps in Syria, calling it proof of Baghdad’s long-term commitment to defeating ISIS and stabilizing the region.
In a statement posted on Facebook, CENTCOM said that 2024 alone saw a 165% increase in the number of Iraqis repatriated from the al-Hol and Roj camps compared with the previous year. The command added that about 80% of Iraqi nationals formerly residing in al-Hol have now been returned; a major step in curbing extremist recruitment and closing one of the most persistent legacies of ISIS’s territorial defeat.
CENTCOM stressed that this success underscores Iraq’s role as a key strategic partner of both the U.S. military and the broader international coalition against ISIS, noting that joint efforts are “strengthening Iraq’s national security and supporting regional stability, ensuring a safer future for all citizens.”
