The Syrian transitional government is working with Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria to address the long-standing humanitarian and security challenges posed by tens of thousands of people—mostly families of Islamic State fighters—still housed in camps in the region.
The latest move by the government in Damascus marks a key shift in Syrian policy following the Islamic State’s surrender in 2019, after a series of bitter battles near the Euphrates River. The US-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) subsequently took thousands of suspected militants and their families into custody, and placed them in sprawling desert camps, notably Al-Hol and Roj. At their peak, they housed more than 80,000 people. By 2024, these included around 10,000 male Islamic State fighters, 18,000 Iraqis, 16,000 Syrians, and some 6,000 foreign nationals with alleged links to the group.
Conditions in these camps have long been criticised by human rights groups for poor sanitation, lack of resources, and persistent violence. Islamic State supporters within the camps are reported to enforce extremist norms through informal policing, raising concerns that children are being radicalised in the absence of proper rehabilitation and education programmes.
So far, there has been no comprehensive plan for repatriating or reintegrating the inmates. The West or even friendly countries in the Middle East have been unwilling to accept them, while the US-led Coalition did not have a coherent policy on managing the inmates. Funding for de-radicalisation efforts remained scant, and the camps continued to operate with minimal oversight.
On May 24, Kurdish officials confirmed that a Syrian government delegation visited Al-Hol camp for the first time, signalling a new phase of coordination between the transitional government in Damascus and the Kurdish-led administration in the northeast. Kurdish official Sheikhmous Ahmed stated that a “tripartite meeting” had taken place involving the Syrian government, the SDF, and the US-led Coalition. The parties discussed a “joint mechanism” to begin returning Syrian families from Al-Hol to areas under Damascus’s control.
This follows a landmark March agreement between Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi. Under the deal, the Kurdish-led SDF is to be gradually integrated into Syria’s national armed forces. Key infrastructure—including border crossings, airports, oil fields, and prisons holding around 9,000 suspected Islamic State members—will come under central government control.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba confirmed that Al-Hol falls under the new agreement, and said the issue of Islamic State families “requires a comprehensive societal solution.” However, Sheikhmous Ahmed clarified that the administration of Al-Hol camp would not be immediately transferred to Damascus.
As part of ongoing efforts, some Syrians have already returned from the camps to Kurdish-controlled areas through reintegration centres. The new agreement, however, is the first to enable returns to areas controlled by the central government, further bridging the gap between the formerly autonomous Kurdish zone and Damascus.
After Bashar al-Assad’s ouster, the transitional government has been trying to unify Syria's divided regions. The Trump administration has been largely supportive of these reconciliation efforts, especially facilitating key meetings. The US, in fact, brokered a key summit between Al-Sharaa and SDF commander Abdi in Riyadh a couple of months ago.
The US-backed Syrian Free Army, formerly based in the Tanf region of southern Syria, has also integrated into the new security structure under the 70th Division and is active at Al-Seen airbase near Damascus. Washington’s role has been critical, despite Trump’s resolve to scale back American military engagements abroad. But it may not be easy as security threats continue to persist. Syrian forces took down an Islamic State cell near Damascus on May 26 and there has been a spurt in Islamic State attacks in eastern Syria.
As diplomatic engagements intensify, such as the May 26 meeting between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and International Rescue Committee chief David Miliband in Damascus, stakeholders hope that a more coordinated and humane approach will finally resolve the fate of thousands still trapped in limbo.