Full Breakdown
Deteriorating Conditions for Women and Children in Syria’s Roj Detention Camp
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Roj Camp Detention Crisis
More than 2,300 women and children remain confined in Roj camp in northeast Syria under open-ended detention. The detainees, many alleged to have family ties to the Islamic State, have no individual legal process to determine the length or justification of their confinement. Reports from camp residents describe nightly gunfire, stone-throwing by guards, and a boy who suffered a serious head injury. UN experts and human-rights organisations label the practice a breach of international law.
Background: SDF Dissolution and Transfer of Control
On August 25, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced it would dissolve as an independent military force under an agreement with the Syrian government in Damascus. The SDF had administered Roj until the previous month; responsibility for the camp has since shifted to Syrian state authorities. Former SDF commander Mazloum Abdi was appointed a presidential adviser following the merger.
Conditions and Human Rights Findings
The UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria told the Human Rights Council on September 8 that conditions in Roj had worsened over the past year, citing regular night raids, extortion and violence by camp security. UN special rapporteur Fionnuala Ni Aolain, who visited the camp in 2023, said the environment meets the threshold for torture under international law and that detaining women and children without conviction is “utterly unacceptable.” She emphasized that there is no legal basis for the arbitrary detention and called for immediate release.
Official Responses and Accountability
Beatrice Eriksson, spokesperson for the Swedish branch of Repatriate the Children, reported that boys as young as 12 or 13 have been taken from their mothers to rehabilitation centres, with some later transferred to makeshift prisons in Iraq and others whose whereabouts remain unknown. The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the camp administration have not responded to requests for comment.
Data Summary
- Over 2,300 women and children detained in Roj.
- Children from more than 50 countries are held without legal process.
- In 2023, an estimated 52,000 people—including about 12,000 foreign nationals—were detained across al-Hol and Roj camps.
- Upwards of 70,000 people had previously been held in al-Hol, the larger northeast camp.
The situation remains unsustainable, with detainees urging any next steps to end their suffering, even if it means returning to prison in their home countries.