Iraqis Prepare to Leave Hol Camp Amid Fears of PMF Retaliation

An Iraqi family in al-Hol camp prepares to return to Iraq (Asharq Al-Awsat)
An Iraqi family in al-Hol camp prepares to return to Iraq (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Iraqis Prepare to Leave Hol Camp Amid Fears of PMF Retaliation

An Iraqi family in al-Hol camp prepares to return to Iraq (Asharq Al-Awsat)
An Iraqi family in al-Hol camp prepares to return to Iraq (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Iraqi government has agreed to evacuate 500 families from al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria’s Hasakah province, which hosts more than 8,000 Iraqi families of the total 62,000 residents.

Director of the Exit Office in al-Hol Camp Munir Mohammad told Asharq Al-Awsat that preparations for Iraqi repatriations started after the Iraqi government struck a deal with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and Hol camp's management.

Thousands of displaced Iraqis queued in front of the Exit Office to inquire about the departure dates which will begin this week, or register their names to return to their country, noting that between 2017 and 2018 about 8,000 refugees returned.

More than 50,000 Iraqis voluntarily returned to their hometowns until the end of 2018, according to the figures of the Exit Office.

The official pointed out that over the past two years, the Iraqi authorities refused to receive citizens wishing to return.

Mohammad stated that more than 20,000 Iraqis are willing to return provided that they are transferred under the supervision of United Nations and international humanitarian agencies.

“Everyone fears reprisals from the Popular Mobilization Forces, which controls many areas in Iraq,” asserted Mohammed.

At the Office, Sajida, 50, was pleased to know about her return, saying she’d go back on foot if they allowed her, adding that she’s tired of living in the camp along with her big family.

Nahida Habib al-Mohammad couldn't remember her birthday but recalled escaping five years ago from al-Anbar after ISIS took control over the governorate. She was displaced with her family into many areas, before settling in the camp two years ago.

Nahida awaits impatiently to return to her hometown and reunite with her family. She said she had registered her family several times before, but the Iraqi authorities had refused to receive them.

In another tent, Awad al-Shammari, from Sinjar in northern Iraq, sat with his wife, Khadija, and the families of their two married sons.

Khadija described their dire living conditions, saying their tent lacks basic necessities, but she was relieved after hearing news of their return to Iraq.



EU Official Hold Talks in Algeria on ‘New Pact for Mediterranean’

European Commission Director-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf Stefano Sannino. (EU)
European Commission Director-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf Stefano Sannino. (EU)
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EU Official Hold Talks in Algeria on ‘New Pact for Mediterranean’

European Commission Director-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf Stefano Sannino. (EU)
European Commission Director-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf Stefano Sannino. (EU)

The European Commission’s Director-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf, Stefano Sannino, made an official visit to Algiers on Tuesday to discuss with senior Algerian officials the reviving of their “Partnership Agreement” and a plan to engage the partner countries of the Southern Neighborhood in the New Pact for the Mediterranean.

In a statement, the European Commission said Sannino will stay in Algeria until April 24.

“This mission is firmly in line with the consultations conducted on the New Pact for the Mediterranean, which the European Commission will adopt in the coming months, with a view to promoting a more integrated and supportive approach to regional cooperation,” the statement said.

During this visit, Sannino will hold talks with representatives of several Algerian ministerial departments, including Foreign Affairs, Energy, Finance, and Culture.

He will also take part, on Wednesday, in the opening of a conference on “New Investment Dynamics and Prospects for Cooperation” between the European Union in Algeria, jointly organized by the Delegation of the European Union in Algeria and the Algerian Investment Promotion Agency (AAPI), in the presence of representatives of the Algerian Economic Renewal Council (CREA) and the business community in Algeria.

The visit will provide a valuable opportunity to reaffirm the EU’s commitment to revitalizing bilateral cooperation with Algeria, within the broader and strategically articulated framework of the New Pact for the Mediterranean, the Commission said.

It added that the EU “aspires to a partnership that goes beyond the very strong existing relations, particularly in the energy sector, to build other strategic complementarities for sustainable and inclusive growth, in a changing geopolitical context and facing shared challenges such as reindustrialization, economic competitiveness, and the green transition.”

The visit comes as Algeria’s Foreign and Commerce ministries hold talks with the North Africa Unit at the Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission, aimed at reviving their “Partnership Agreement” signed in 2002.

The new Agenda for the Mediterranean was launched by the European Union in 2021 to strengthen the strategic partnership with its Southern Neighborhood partners in trade and renewable energies, upgrading facilities and infrastructure, and managing migration and counter-terrorism issues.