Authorities in Finland have repatriated a minor boy from Iraq after years spent in the notorious Al-Hol Camp, officials confirmed on Friday.
The Finnish foreign ministry said the child arrived in Finland following a decision by an Iraqi court on March 31 that cleared the way for his release and transfer to the Finnish embassy in Baghdad. Authorities confirmed the boy holds only Finnish citizenship.
According to officials, the child had been taken to Syria in the mid-2010s and was placed in the al-Hol camp in February 2019 after the collapse of the territorial control of the Islamic State. He remained there for nearly seven years before being transferred earlier this year to Baghdad along with thousands of other detainees moved from northeastern Syria.
Finnish diplomats later verified his identity in Iraq and arranged for his return. The foreign ministry said the repatriation was carried out in line with constitutional obligations, consular law and international commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Authorities noted that Finnish domestic agencies will now oversee the boy’s welfare and support services. Further details have not been disclosed due to privacy protections for minors.
Al-Hol camp has held tens of thousands of people since 2019, including women and children associated with foreign fighters linked to Islamic State. Finnish officials previously estimated that around ten Finnish citizens remained in similar conditions earlier this year, most of them children.
The camp’s situation has evolved in recent months after control shifted to Syrian government forces, with reports indicating that thousands of residents left the site during a period of instability.
Since 2019, Finland has repatriated 37 individuals from the region, including 27 children. The previous return occurred in May 2024. Security authorities say each case is assessed individually, noting that returns from conflict zones can pose security concerns, although the repatriated boy is not suspected of any offences in Iraq or Finland.
