DUBAI, UAE - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani said Sunday that the temporary transfer of Islamic State (ISIS) detainees to Iraqi prisons is intended to safeguard Iraq’s national security and prevent renewed militant activity across the region.

Sudani made the remarks during a meeting with UN Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare, according to a statement from the prime minister’s media office.

The premier said Iraq has demonstrated its ability to responsibly manage high-risk terrorism cases and take “appropriate measures” to prevent ISIS from regrouping, particularly amid concerns over instability at detention sites outside the country.

He called on countries whose nationals are among the detainees to take responsibility by repatriating their citizens and prosecuting them under their own legal systems.

Khare conveyed the appreciation of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for Iraq’s role in supporting regional stability and its cooperation in transferring ISIS detainees, particularly Iraqi nationals. He said the move has international backing as part of efforts to curb the spread of terrorism.

Iraq has intensified security measures along its border with Syria amid growing concerns over a possible resurgence of ISIS.

About 80 percent of a concrete wall stretching roughly 600 kilometers along the border has been completed, as part of a multi-layered defense system that includes barbed wire, deep trenches, and thermal surveillance cameras.

Iraqi forces have also reinforced army deployments in border areas, citing instability inside Syria and the risk posed by ISIS members held near the frontier.

The security push comes as Syrian government affiliated factions have taken control of key detention sites in Hasakah and Raqqa, including al-Hol camp and several prisons holding tens of thousands of ISIS fighters and family members. Against this backdrop, Iraq has begun transferring suspected ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraqi prisons.

US Central Command said on Wednesday that about 150 ISIS members have already been moved, with up to 7,000 potentially transferred in total.

Iraqi officials say many of the detainees are senior militants wanted by Iraqi courts and that holding them inside Iraq reduces escape risks and allows prosecutions under Iraqi law, with the transfers carried out under tight security coordination.