US Repatriates American Child Stuck in Syrian Camp

The United States repatriated an American child separated from their family from a sprawling camp in northeastern Syria that houses tens of thousands of people with alleged ties to the militant Islamic State group, the State Department said Wednesday. The department estimates that some 30,000 people from 70 countries remain at the al-Hol Camp, most of them wives and children of ISIS fighters, as well as supporters of the extremist group, per the AP. They include Iraqis as well as nationals of Western countries who traveled to join ISIS. The State Department didn't offer any details about the repatriation, except to say in a statement that the child "has known nothing of life outside of the camps" and will be reunified with their family.

The US military for years has been pushing for countries to repatriate their citizens from al-Hol and the smaller Roj camp. Iraq has taken back an increasing number in recent years, but many other countries have remained reluctant. "The only durable solution to the humanitarian and security crisis in these displaced persons camps in northeast Syria is for countries of origin to repatriate, rehabilitate, reintegrate, and, where appropriate, ensure accountability for their nationals," the State Department statement read, adding that most of the thousands in the al-Hol camp are under the age of 12, per Reuters. "The same goes for former ISIS fighters held in detention centers in northeast Syria."

Human rights groups for years have cited poor living conditions and pervasive violence in the al-Hol camp, which the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have administered for years. The SDF is Washington's key ally in combating ISIS and its sleeper cells in Syria, and for years it has run large swaths of northeastern Syria. Despite difficult talks to formally merge with the country's new rulers under interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, Damascus and the SDF in May reached an agreement to repatriate Syrians in the camp. Since the ouster of Bashar Assad in December, Washington has been pushing for the two sides to implement their deal and unify Syrian territory, which would ultimately put the camp under the control of the government.