Iraqis struggle to return from Syria camp amid ISIS families

Repatriation and Resistance: The Al‑Hol Returnees

After years of detention in a Kurdish‑controlled camp, 64‑year‑old Ibrahim Darwish returned to Iraq with a mix of relief and despair. He could now leave al‑Hol, thanks to a security clearance and a tribal leader’s backing, yet his home life had collapsed. “I had to disown my sons,” he admitted. His house was gone, and he was back to square one.

From Camp to Community: The Disownment Dilemma

Darwish’s first months in Iraq were spent in another camp—al‑Jadaa—presented as a rehabilitation centre. He felt welcome there, but when authorities instructed him to cut ties with his sons, who were locked on suspicion of joining the Islamic State, he complied. “Otherwise, how was I going to farm my land?” he explained.

In Mosul, a thirty‑someth‑age woman lived in a dilapidated house with her sister and children, fearing eviction. She said people looked at them differently because they came from al‑Hol. “Now my concern is obtaining new identity cards,” she told AFP, fearing she might have to disown her husband to do so.

Legal and Moral Repercussions

• A lawyer equated disownment statements with one family member’s complaint against another, warning that many returnees mistakenly believed they must comply to obtain identity cards.
• A senior Iraqi official insisted that the authorities supported reintegration and that requesting disownment statements was illegal and should be reported.

International Perspectives

Thanassis Cambanis, director of Century International, called the future murky. He warned that collective punishment of ISIS families was a moral error and that Iraq’s policy could become a pool of potential recruits for violent extremism.

Rehabilitation Efforts and the Need for Expanded Support

Baghdad has repatriated roughly 17,000 people, mostly women and children. Local and international organisations are helping, but challenges persist, especially after the U.S. cut foreign aid under President Trump. The Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) has assisted about 6,000 returnees, offering psychosocial support, vocational training, and counselling.

• Kevin Osborne (GCERF) stresses the need for expanded support to prepare communities for sustainable reintegration.
• Noran Mahmood (Iraq Institution for Development) notes many returnees fear society’s refusal to welcome them, feeling that time in al‑Hol is a disgrace.
• Rahaf, 24, thanks an organisation’s assistance for achieving her dream of studying in middle school and pursuing a career as a lawyer or teacher.

Conclusion

For those who survived al‑Hol, the return to home life is a painful, complex journey. The requirement to disown family members suspected of jihadist links, the lack of official documentation, and societal stigma threaten their futures. An expanded, coordinated effort is essential to ensure they can rebuild their lives.