Northeast Syria is facing a growing humanitarian challenge as camps housing families linked to suspected Islamic State (ISIS) fighters are rapidly closing, leaving the fate of approximately 8,500 residents uncertain. The Syrian government announced the imminent closure of al-Hol and Roj camps on January 30, 2026, and has since fully evacuated al-Hol, according to authorities. The situation raises serious concerns about the safety and wellbeing of those displaced, many of whom are women and children who have never been charged with a crime.
The closures mark a significant shift in the management of these camps, which for years have been under the control of Kurdish-led forces. The transfer of control of al-Hol to Syrian authorities on January 20 triggered a largely unplanned and chaotic exodus of residents. Human Rights Watch has documented the precarious situation, noting that many governments have been gradual to repatriate their citizens, citing difficulties in negotiating with previous camp administrators. “For years, many governments claimed that difficulties negotiating with a non-state actor in charge of the camps was why they couldn’t repatriate their citizens, but now that excuse won’t hold,” said Adam Coogle, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Seven years is a long time to kick the can down the road. These countries necessitate to bring their citizens home.”
Prior to the recent changes, the camps housed roughly 28,000 people, including approximately 12,500 foreigners from over 60 countries and 4,000 Iraqi nationals. While al-Hol is now reportedly empty, Roj camp, currently holding 2,300 foreign women and children, remains under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and is also expected to close. The United States has established a Joint Repatriation Cell to facilitate the return of foreign nationals, but progress has been uneven.
Reports of Abuse and Exploitation in Roj Camp
As the situation in al-Hol deteriorated, and with the looming closure of Roj, concerns are mounting about the conditions within the remaining camp. Human Rights Watch has received reports of nightly raids by the Asayish, Kurdish internal security forces, involving beatings, property destruction, and threats against detainees. Three women in Roj camp reported these raids, alleging that boys as young as 11 were separated from their mothers and subjected to violence. One woman recounted a harrowing incident on January 31, where security forces allegedly fired into the air and threatened residents during a search, with a guard reportedly stating, “this is the last day you are going to see these boys, we are going to take them away and kill them.”
These accounts, while unverified by Human Rights Watch, align with concerns raised by aid workers in the region. A Trinidadian woman described being slapped and having her hijab pulled off during a raid on February 12. Further compounding the risks, there have been reports of kidnapping for ransom, with one woman reporting her neighbor’s sons being abducted and held until a $2,000 payment was made. The alleged abuse and exploitation underscore the vulnerability of those remaining in the camps.
Challenges to Repatriation and Concerns for Statelessness
The urgency of the situation is compounded by the reluctance of some countries to repatriate their citizens. Australia has recently confirmed it will not support the repatriation of 34 Australian women and children with alleged links to ISIS, offering “absolutely no support.” The country has also issued a temporary exclusion order against at least one citizen, effectively rendering them stateless. Similarly, the United Kingdom and Denmark have revoked the citizenship of some nationals, leaving them in a legal limbo. These actions raise serious questions about the rights of these individuals and the obligations of their home countries.
While some nations are actively working to bring their citizens home – Iraq has repatriated the vast majority of its nationals from al-Hol, transferring them to a camp in Ninewa Governorate for screening and rehabilitation – others face internal political obstacles. A woman from Bosnia expressed frustration, stating, “[Bosnian authorities] carried out one repatriation in 2019 of a few women and children while leaving the rest of us without explanation…We feel discriminated against because we are the same citizens of Bosnia and our basic rights are being violated.”
Detainee Transfers and the Risk of Abuse
Alongside the camp closures, the United States military began transferring 5,700 male detainees – including Syrians, Iraqis, and third-country nationals – from northeast Syria to Iraq on January 21 for trial. Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council has confirmed that 157 of these detainees are boys under the age of 18. Human Rights Watch has raised concerns about the potential for abuse within the Iraqi justice system, particularly for these young detainees, many of whom have been forcibly separated from their mothers. These boys are also being held in so-called rehabilitation centers, raising further concerns about due process and their wellbeing.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that some women in the camps do not wish to return to their home countries, fearing persecution or mistreatment. For Uyghurs, Afghans, and Iranians, the risk of refoulement – being returned to a country where they face harm – is particularly acute. For these individuals, a proper resettlement plan is needed. Others fear separation from their children if they are detained upon return, as Beatrice Eriksson, cofounder of Repatriate the Children, explained: “This will by default happen to 100 percent of the women who will be prosecuted upon return.”
The mass displacement and uncertain future of those formerly held in al-Hol and Roj camps demand immediate international attention. Human Rights Watch and other organizations are calling on all governments to prioritize the repatriation of their nationals and to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those who remain. Pending repatriation, all parties to the conflict must cooperate to provide adequate shelter, healthcare, and psychosocial support to the displaced population.
The next major development to watch is Iraq’s progress in processing the transferred male detainees and the response of other nations to the growing calls for repatriation. As of February 23, 2026, the situation remains fluid and requires continued monitoring and advocacy.
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