Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that the fate of around 8,500 people held in camps housing families of men suspected of affiliation with the Islamic State group in northeastern Syria remains unknown.
Adam Coogle, Deputy Middle East Director at HRW, stated in a report published on February 23 that governments can no longer justify their failure to repatriate their nationals by citing difficulties in negotiating with a non-state actor that previously oversaw the camps, referring to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). He urged all countries to take back their citizens.
On Sunday, February 22, the Syrian government closed al-Hol camp in al-Hasakah governorate, northeastern Syria, after completing the evacuation of the last remaining residents, families of Islamic State members.
Fadi al-Qassem, the camp’s director, told AFP that the camp was shut down after all Syrian and non Syrian families had been transferred elsewhere.
For his part, Sheikhmous Ahmad, co-chair of the Office of Displaced Persons and Refugees Affairs in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, said that the evacuation of Roj camp, which houses families of Islamic State members, will take place soon.
In remarks to Rudaw Network on February 21, Ahmad said Roj camp remains under the control of the Autonomous Administration and is protected by Asayish forces, the internal security forces affiliated with the SDF.
HRW said that for years, the two camps held thousands of women and children without criminal charges, in life threatening conditions, because their home countries had not repatriated them.
Number of people in the two camps
Human Rights Watch said the total number of people in the two camps stood at approximately 28,000 as of mid-January 2026.
According to the organization, about 12,500 of them are foreigners from more than 60 countries, around 4,000 are Iraqis, and the remainder are Syrian nationals.
The group noted that the population of al-Hol has declined since the government assumed control on January 20, adding that many departures were largely unorganized and chaotic.
HRW warned that the manner in which people left exposed women and children to serious risks, including trafficking, exploitation, and recruitment by armed groups.
The organization called on Syrian authorities to prioritize identifying those who left, ensure their protection, provide safe shelter, and guarantee access to healthcare, psychosocial support, and child protection services. It also urged the implementation of individualized screening procedures that respect due process and avoid punitive or discriminatory treatment.
Alleged abuses in Roj camp
One woman in Roj camp told HRW on February 9 that armed men abducted her neighbor’s two sons and refused to return them unless their mother paid 2,000 US dollars.
She said that when the boys were returned, the older one had been beaten and was covered in blood.
A woman from Trinidad said that a large number of security vehicles began arriving around 11 p.m. on January 31.
She reported that security personnel fired into the air and ordered the women to leave their tents, gathering them in a sports field in extremely cold weather while guards insulted them.
According to her testimony, boys aged 11 and above were separated from their mothers and beaten.
She quoted one guard as saying, “This is the last day you will see these boys. We will take them and kill them,” adding that the guards forced the boys to lower their heads and place their hands behind their backs like prisoners while women were searched in groups.
She said the searches included slapping, hitting women on the head, and forcibly removing their headscarves.
Although Human Rights Watch said it was unable to independently verify these accounts, it noted that aid workers in the camp reported hearing similar concerns.
HRW said it had not received a response from the SDF to its request for comment.
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