Iraq speeds repatriation of citizens from Syrian camps amid social integration challenges

BAGHDAD — In a new push to close the chapter on its citizens stranded in Syrian camps, the Iraqi government is accelerating efforts to bring home more than 25,000 Iraqis. 

Iraq’s National Security Adviser, Qasim al-Araji, said Baghdad was now “close to evacuating all of its citizens” from camps in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, which has been facilitating voluntary return trips. 

The repatriations began in 2023 and have drawn praise from U.N. Secretary General António Guterres, who called the effort “a model initiative” and pledged the United Nations’ support for accelerating reintegration programs, especially for children under 18. 

On the ground, however, the task of reintegration has proven far more complicated. According to a report by Agence France-Presse, many returnees face what it described as a “ticking time bomb” of widespread societal rejection, as communities view them with suspicion due to the involvement of some relatives with the Islamic State. That stigma has made it harder for returnees to obtain official documents needed for daily life. 

While the government presses ahead with reintegration plans, winning over local communities and alleviating security concerns remain the most formidable obstacles to making the process succeed.