ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) announced Thursday that Syrian citizens residing in the notorious al-Hol camp can now voluntarily return to their homes following the fall of the Assad regime.

 

The administration said fear of the regime had previously prevented many families from leaving the camp despite a 2020 decision allowing them to return. With the regime no longer in power, officials emphasized that returning is now safer and pledged to provide transportation and logistical support for families willing to leave.

 

“We will provide all necessary facilities and organize transportation for families wishing to return,” the administration’s statement said.

 

The administration also urged international humanitarian organizations to assist displaced Syrians currently living in camps across the region, including al-Arisha, al-Mahmoudli, Tuwayhina, and Abu Khashab.

 

More than 43,000 Syrians, Iraqis, and foreigners from at least 45 countries are held in the overcrowded al-Hol camp.

 

Additionally, officials called on the United Nations and the international community to take a stronger stance on the displacement crisis in Afrin, Tal Abyad, and Serekaniye/Ras al-Ain. They emphasized the need for international guarantees to ensure safe and dignified returns for those displaced from these areas.

 

“We reaffirm the right to voluntary and safe return under international and UN guarantees,” the statement read, adding that the administration remains committed to its humanitarian and ethical responsibilities toward displaced persons and refugees.

 

The announcement follows a meeting on Wednesday between Iraq’s Minister of Migration and Displacement, Evan Faeq Jabro, and the new US Embassy chargé d’affaires, Daniel Rubinstein, discussing the situation of displaced persons and returnees in Iraq, as well as the issue of Syria's al-Hol camp.

 

Rubinstein emphasized the importance of Iraqi-American relations and strengthening cooperation on humanitarian and stability efforts, according to a statement from the Iraqi Ministry of Migration.