Iraqi FM, National Security Adviser call for dismantling Al-Hol camp
The National Security Adviser Qassim Al-Araji, and the Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein. Photo: Iraqi News Agency
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The National Security Adviser, Qassim Al-Araji, and the Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, met on Wednesday and called for dismantling the Al-Hol refugee camp in Syria, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
Al-Araji discussed with Hussein issues related to border control, preventing infiltrators and drug smuggling, as well as ways to strengthen the relations with neighboring countries, according to a statement Al-Araji published on Twitter.
“We confirmed Iraq’s stance on the necessity of dismantling the Al-Hol refugee camp in Syria in order to enhance international peace and security,” Al-Araji mentioned via Twitter.
According to the United Nations, more than 55 thousand people live in this refugee camp.
In addition to foreign families of militants, estimated at about 10 thousand people, the camp also shelters families of displaced Syrians and Iraqis, some of them are still in contact with ISIS.
The overcrowded refugee camp of Al-Hol is less than 10 kilometers away from the Iraqi borders.
The Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displaced announced last Saturday that 925 families returned from Al-Hol refugee camp in Syria to Iraq.
The Ministry confirmed that the rehabilitation process of the returnees is ongoing with the participation of 11 organizations.
In 2014, the terrorist group of ISIS took control of large areas in Iraq and Syria before it was defeated in 2017.