Urgent Call for Reform in Northeast Syria Detention Camps Following Amnesty Report
By Kardo Roj
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Amnesty International on Tuesday issued a renewed call for the overhaul of detention practices in northeast Syria, highlighting what it described as a deteriorating humanitarian situation exacerbated by sudden cuts in US humanitarian funding.
The report focuses on the continued detention of tens of thousands of individuals in Al-Hol and Roj camps, as well as other facilities in areas administered by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). These facilities primarily hold individuals suspected of affiliation with the Islamic State (ISIS), including large numbers of women and children.
Amnesty emphasized that more than six years after the territorial defeat of ISIS, arbitrary and indefinite detention persists across the region. Many detainees, the report stated, have not been formally charged or given legal avenues to challenge their detention. The organization called on both the newly formed Syrian government and the AANES to urgently implement reforms.
The chaos, according to Amnesty, has been compounded by abrupt and uncoordinated cuts to US funding since January 2025. These cuts disrupted essential services in Al-Hol camp, including food distribution, healthcare, and security. Blumont, a US-based NGO responsible for coordination at Al-Hol, saw its staff forced to withdraw, prompting local administrators to assume control over vital operations to avoid total collapse of the camp’s infrastructure.
In response, the AANES coordinated with local and international partners to restore basic services, including hiring emergency security personnel and facilitating repatriation operations. A repatriation of 600 Iraqi nationals scheduled for January resumed only after camp authorities forcibly accessed databases essential for the operation.
Amnesty’s report also points to concerns about increased risks of recruitment by ISIS within the camps. In April, the Internal Security Forces (Asayish), with support from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), launched a targeted security operation in Al-Hol camp in response to heightened smuggling attempts and suspected recruitment activities.
The SDF, a primary security provider in the region and key force in the defeat of ISIS, has continued to maintain internal security and coordinate humanitarian access in coordination with AANES bodies. Despite significant logistical and financial constraints, both entities have expressed commitment to transitioning detainees—particularly women and children—out of the camp system where possible.
The report further noted that the AANES, in coordination with the UN, has announced plans to facilitate the voluntary return of Syrian detainees and support the repatriation of Iraqis. Approximately 80 percent of Al-Hol’s 36,000 residents are Iraqi or Syrian nationals.
Amnesty called for increased international support to enable lawful processing of detainees and the reintegration of those eligible to return. While some US funding has since been reinstated, uncertainty remains over long-term commitments.
The AANES, along with humanitarian actors, continues to seek solutions that ensure both regional security and the humane treatment of all detainees.