The Iraqi government announced on Saturday that approximately 5,000 of its nationals remain in the al-Hol camp in northeast Syria, a facility housing individuals with suspected links to the Islamic State (ISIS), as it intensifies a global campaign to shut the camp down.

According to Ali Abbas, spokesperson for the Ministry of Migration and Displaced, significant progress has already been made. "So far, approximately 18,000 Iraqi citizens have been repatriated from al-Hol camp and about 5,000 others remain in the camp," Abbas told Rudaw.

Al-Hol camp in Syria's Hasaka province, administered by Kurdish authorities in Rojava, is widely condemned for its squalid and overcrowded conditions. It houses nearly 28,000 people, mostly the wives and children of ISIS fighters, and has been repeatedly described by security experts and aid organizations as a breeding ground for radicalism. The majority of detainees are Iraqi and Syrian, with the remainder being foreign nationals from dozens of other countries who traveled to join the so-called caliphate.

Citing serious national security concerns posed by the camp, the Iraqi government is planning to host an international conference on the issue in New York this September. The conference aims to rally global support for emptying and ultimately dismantling the facility.

"The conference came at Iraq’s request, and its aim is to present the camp’s dossier before the international community," spokesperson Abbas stated. Iraq has invited all countries with citizens in al-Hol to attend and discuss repatriation mechanisms. Over 30 countries have so far confirmed their participation, according to Iraq’s charge d’affaires in Damascus.

Iraq has pursued a consistent, though complex, repatriation process. Citizens returned from the camps are placed into a rehabilitation program designed to reintegrate them into society. The most recent repatriation effort saw the 29th group of Iraqis brought home on Saturday, comprising 233 families and 854 individuals, as noted by Iraqi lawmaker Sherwan Dubardani.

However, many Western nations have been hesitant to repatriate their own citizens, citing fears of importing security risks and the challenges of prosecuting individuals and rehabilitating them at home.