Syria’s largest refugee and detention camp, Al-Hol, is set to be emptied of some of its inhabitants. Tired of having to manage what they see as a burden and of the little international support they feel they will receive in return, the autonomous authorities of the North-East, predominantly Kurdish, have invited the Syrians who remain or are detained there to leave the camp. Among them, the families of jihadist fighters.
For months, NGOs present in the area have been worried about the deterioration of living conditions and the lack of care: 64,377 people live there in the greatest poverty, according to the United Nations. Including a large number of refugees who were de facto detained there. Some are displaced people who fled the fighting between the Kurdish forces and the Islamic State (IS) organization, others are close to jihadists.
“We have decided to release all the Syrians present in the camp. Those who make the decision to stay will no longer be under our responsibility ”, announced Monday, October 5 Ilham Ahmed, president of the executive committee of the Syrian Democratic Council, the autonomous administration of northeastern Syria.
“A burden”
“This camp is a burden for the autonomous administration, which does not have to pay the exorbitant price of taking care of the needs for bread, water … In addition to the daily problems of insecurity such as assassinations and rapes . So we take out the Syrians. Only foreigners will remain who will be treated in a specific way ”, she added.
In addition to civilian refugees, the Kurdish authorities are responsible for prisons where thousands of foreign fighters are held, including many Europeans. In June, they again urged for a “International solution” to a problem inherited from the war against ISIS.
More than 250 French children whose parents were captured are detained there. Their release is only taking place at the moment, at the whim of the French authorities.
Syrian families of IS fighters should be released in consultation with tribal leaders in the region. Which will vouch for their reinstatement. The release of detained women and children is regularly requested by local Arab tribes.
“Act of irresponsibility”
For the sake of pragmatism and the desire to maintain their links with local actors, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) regularly accede to their requests. Since the summer of 2019, 4,345 Syrians have left Al-Hol, according to the UN.
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