Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Children from Families with Perceived ISIL Affiliation: Experiences from Iraq and Al Hol

This report is based on findings drawn from a number of quantitative and qualitative studies in Iraq. This includes a large-scale survey of 1,882 respondents in four areas of Iraq that were occupied by ISIL: Muhalabiyah (Nineveh), Tuz (Salah al-Din), Al Qaim (Anbar), and Habbaniya (Anbar), conducted in July 2022 in partnership with, and with support from, UNDP Iraq. It also draws on research conducted with Iraqis returning from Al Hol camp in Syria through Jeddah-1 camp, with interviews facilitated by IOM Iraq and support from the Swiss FDFA. The research in Jeddah-1 camp included ten focus group discussions conducted with Jeddah-1 residents in July 2022; key informant interviews with camp leadership, government officials, and camp service providers; a survey conducted with 223 Jeddah-1 camp residents in August 2022; and phone surveys completed with 60 former Jeddah-1 residents who had returned to their areas of origin, in September 2022. Finally, the report also draws on key informant interviews with mukhtars, tribal sheikhs, and key political and security actors in areas where Jeddah-1 residents have returned (19 interviews total). The report presents findings on children’s return and reintegration journeys in Iraq and looks at the experiences of children who have lived under ISIL, those who have returned from Al Hol camp in Syria, and/or children whose families are perceived as having ISIL affiliation. It examines metrics of wellbeing for these children and the challenges they face post-return and concludes with key policy and programmatic recommendations that may be useful to government, UN, and NGO partners working to support the return and effective reintegration of children in Iraq.