Iraq Says Closure of Syria's Al-Hawl Refugee Camp Nearly Complete

SANA

Al-Hawl camp in Syria.

Iraq’s Federal Ministry of Migration and Displacement has announced that the closure of the Al-Hawl refugee camp in northeastern Syria is nearing completion.

Ministry Undersecretary Karim al-Nuri told Iraq's state media (INA) that Al-Hawl camp in northeastern Syria is expected to be completely closed soon. He said Iraq had made significant progress in resolving the issue, with only a small number of Iraqi refugees remaining at the camp.

“There are around 1,200 Iraqi refugees remaining in the camp, which is a relatively small number,” al-Nuri said.

He added that approximately 21,000 people had already been returned to their homes, describing the figure as a significant achievement.

Al-Nuri said the government was continuing efforts to ensure the safe return of the remaining refugees and to address their social and humanitarian circumstances.

He confirmed that “the file is almost completely closed”, indicating that Iraq is approaching the final stage of the process.

In September 2025, an international conference was held at the United Nations headquarters, with Iraqi efforts and cooperation with the United Nations focusing on finding solutions to Al-Hawl refugee camp issue.

Iraq has been working with international organisations to address its humanitarian and security concerns and prepare for the final closure of the camp, amid continued international attention to the refugee situation and its wider humanitarian and security implications.

Originally established as a camp for Iraqi refugees in 1991, Al-Hawl was later repurposed to house tens of thousands of displaced people and family members of suspected Islamic State (ISIS) fighters following the territorial defeat of ISIS in Syria. 



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