Archive · 31 Jan 2026
Syria Plans to Close IS-Linked Camps
Syria wants to close two big camps, al-Hol and Roj, where people who are connected to the Islamic State (IS) live.
These camps have more than 28,000 people, including families and foreigners.
The Syrian government now controls al-Hol, and the Kurdish-led SDF controls Roj.
The camps will be closed within a year.
Some people, like Shamima Begum from Britain, are also living in these camps.
The camps are different from prisons that hold IS fighters.
Many people have already left the camps, especially those who went back to Iraq.
Syria plans to close al-Hol and Roj camps within a year.
The camps hold over 28,000 people, mostly Syrians and Iraqis, with 8,000 foreigners.
Al-Hol is now controlled by Syrian forces, while Roj is held by the Kurdish-led SDF.
Shamima Begum, a British woman who joined IS, is among the foreigners in the camps.
The camps are for families and others with alleged IS links, not for detained fighters.
- Who
- Syrian government, civilians with IS links, including foreigners like Shamima Begum
- What
- Plans to close al-Hol and Roj camps
- When
- Within a year
- Where
- Northeast Syria
- Why
- To address the situation of displaced people with alleged IS links
- Camps
- al-Hol and Roj
- Total People
- 28,000+
- Foreigners in al-Hol
- 6,000
- Foreigners in Roj
- 2,000
- Notable Foreigner
- Shamima Begum
- Control of al-Hol
- Syrian forces
- Control of Roj
- Kurdish-led SDF
- Planned Closure Timeframe
- Within a year