ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraq’s Minister of Migration Evan Faek Gabro on Friday said that an international conference calling for the repatriation of persons from Syria’s al-Hol camp will be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, in preparation for the camp’s planned closure.

Gabro said the conference will take place on September 26 at the UN headquarters in New York, and will be attended by regional and international representatives

The Iraqi delegation will be headed by President Abdul Latif Rashid, according to the minister.

The conference, titled the High-Level International Conference on the Repatriation of Persons from al-Hol, Surrounding Camps and Places of Detention, has been organized by the Iraqi government with the technical support of the UN Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT),

The conference intends to address the “extremely dangerous humanitarian, social, and security challenges it carries,” said Gabro.

Thousands of suspected Islamic State (ISIS) members and their families are held at al-Hol and other camps in northeast Syria, often referred to as a “ticking time bomb” by Iraqi authorities.

“This conference aims to mobilize international community support and motivate it to shoulder its responsibilities toward this file by taking back their nationals from the camp, in preparation for its final closure, which would put an end to human suffering that has lasted for years and enhance the security and stability of the region,” Gabro added.

Located in northern Syria’s Hasaka province, al-Hol houses around 40,000 ISIS-affiliated individuals from over 60 different nationalities.

Gabro said she will be working alongside a group of “legal experts and specialists,” in order to “develop a comprehensive roadmap that ensures rehabilitation and integration, enhances community security, and maintains national stability.”

Iraq has repatriated over 15,000 of its nationals from the camp over the years — more than any other country- and aims to complete repatriation by the end of 2025. The camp reportedly still holds over 13,000 Iraqis.