Escapees from Syria's Camps Face an Uncertain Future Amid Urgent Repatriation Calls
In the desolate desert region of Syria's north-eastern Hasakeh province, the gradual emptying of al-Hawl camp has left many women and children, relatives of suspected Islamic State jihadists, stranded in a post-conflict zone. This unfolding catastrophe raises fresh security fears and highlights the vulnerability of those arbitrarily detained for years without charge or trial.
A Rare Moment of Hope Amid Despair
For Xhetan Ndregjoni, the wait ended in early February when he received news that his niece, Eva Dumani, had escaped al-Hawl camp. "I don't have the words to describe that moment," Ndregjoni said of their emotional reunion. Dumani's ordeal began over a decade ago when she was kidnapped from her home in Albania at age nine, along with her younger brother, and taken to Syria by her father, who was later killed fighting for Islamic State.
Her release offers a glimmer of hope, but it underscores the broader crisis. The camp's collapse, along with uncertainty over the smaller al-Roj facility—where individuals like Shamima Begum from the UK are held—has prompted renewed demands for governments to repatriate citizens. Devorah Margolin, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, warned, "People are going to come back whether you want them to or not, specifically if they've escaped."
The Harsh Realities of Detention and Escape
About 6,000 foreign nationals from countries including Serbia, Bosnia, and Albania were detained at al-Hawl after the fall of Islamic State in 2019. Many have languished in what Human Rights Watch described as "inhuman, degrading, and life-threatening" conditions, marked by chronic shortages of food and medicine and violence from women still loyal to IS.
Margolin emphasized that governments can no longer ignore the situation. "People will get back into Europe. And so to have a proactive plan in which you can focus on trauma-informed care, reintegration, disengagement as well as security monitoring is a much better security practice than allowing people to sneak in and not addressing it at all," she said. "That's asking for something bad to happen."
Stories of Struggle and Resilience
Alongside Dumani, other cases highlight the dire circumstances. Belgian authorities reported a woman charged in absentia for IS membership returned in February and was arrested on arrival. A source revealed another woman from western Europe smuggled herself from al-Hawl to Lebanon, seeking repatriation at her embassy. At al-Roj, over 30 Australians recently attempted to leave on their own but were turned back at the last minute.
In al-Roj, Elona Shuli, married to an IS fighter at 13, hopes for repatriation by Albania. However, the Albanian government claims it cannot locate her exact location, despite the Guardian finding her within minutes. Beatrice Eriksson of Repatriate the Children warned, "Responsible countries need to step in now and assist their citizens to get home, there's no more time to waste. There are non-state groups in Syria who have an interest in recruiting, coercing and exploiting these children and their mothers."
The Path to Freedom and Ongoing Challenges
After escaping al-Hawl earlier this year, Dumani walked for four hours to reach a main road, where smugglers helped her reach Turkey. Albanian officials assisted her travel to Albania, where she was reunited with her family. "We had been waiting for this moment for 12 years," Ndregjoni said. "It was incredibly emotional when she saw her brother and mother."
Now 20, Dumani is adjusting well, starting high school to make up for lost education. However, Ndregjoni's concern has shifted to the approximately 25 Albanians still trapped in northern Syria. "We ask the government to bring back home the other children who are in this situation, it's really important for them to have their kids at home too," he urged.
A Call for Action and Humanity
Research by Human Rights Watch found many repatriated children can reintegrate successfully, despite conditions so dire they may "amount to torture." Eriksson praised Dumani's uncle as a "true hero" but noted it was "disturbing" that families must take such risks. As Europe shows little public acknowledgment of the shifting situation, the collapse of al-Hawl and uncertainty over al-Roj leave many vulnerable to exploitation in a conflict zone, emphasizing the urgent need for coordinated repatriation efforts.
