This report examines the return experiences of Iraqis who have been repatriated back to their country after spending time in Al Hol Camp in Syria. It draws on original qualitative research and surveys with a sample of residents of the Jeddah-1 Rehabilitation Centre in Ninewa (J-1) in March 2023 and with a different sample of residents in November-December 2023.
The report examines how the return process and reintegration prospects have evolved for different cohorts of returnees, with a particular focus on how long returning cohorts stay in the Centre, whether they access services and can procure or renew civil documentation there, and how perceptions of the expected familial and community receptivity have shifted over time.
Citation: Schadi Semnani, Jente Althuis, Muqadas Samarrai, Melisande Genat, and Siobhan O’Neil, “From Al Hol to Hope: Navigating Return and Reintegration Challenges,” Findings Report 37, UNIDIR, Geneva, 2024, https://doi.org/10.37559/MEAC/24/06