Five Moroccan women have returned home from northeastern Syria in recent weeks after completing legal and administrative procedures coordinated with Morocco’s embassy in Damascus, bringing renewed attention to one of the kingdom’s most complex humanitarian and security files.
The returns mark a new phase in Morocco’s efforts to repatriate citizens stranded in Syrian conflict zones, particularly women who have left the Al Hol camp and moved to areas now controlled by Syria’s new authorities, where obtaining identity documents and travel permits has become easier.
Abdelaziz El Bakkali, coordinator of the Moroccan Coordination of Families of Detainees and Missing Persons in Iraq and Syria, said the women continue to suffer from the psychological and physical effects of years spent in camp conditions. He credited Moroccan diplomatic services in Damascus with facilitating their return despite logistical challenges.
According to El Bakkali, the main obstacle facing remaining candidates for repatriation is the cost of travel. Flights from Damascus to Morocco typically transit through Qatar, with tickets costing between 20,000 and 25,000 dirhams per person. Several women who have already completed legal formalities are still waiting for funding to cover transportation expenses.
Many Moroccan women remain in camps in northeastern Syria, including Al Roj, where humanitarian conditions are widely described as difficult and access to services remains limited.
Security expert Ihssane Hafidi said the management of returnees from former conflict zones in Syria and Iraq remains one of Morocco’s most sensitive security challenges. Official and research estimates indicate that around 1,660 Moroccans travelled to conflict areas over the past decade, including 291 women and 630 children.
More than 770 Moroccans are still believed to be in Syria and Iraq, including 387 children and 136 women, according to figures cited by Hafidi.
Moroccan authorities have handled more than 150 returnee cases through a combination of judicial proceedings, intelligence monitoring and reintegration measures.
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