Baghdad, Iraq  - As Iraq continues the complex process of returning its nationals from Northeast Syria’s Al-Hol Camp, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)  and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)  signed a new SEK 100 million (approximately USD 10.8 million) agreement to support the safe, dignified, and sustainable reintegration of Iraqi families, addressing one of the country’s most pressing stabilization and social cohesion challenges.

The agreement launches UNDP’s Phase II of the Community Reconciliation and Reintegration of Iraqis Returning from Syria’s Al-Hol Camp (CRRISA II) programme, building on the results of the first phase and significantly scaling up support in areas of return. The programme will deliver, community-based interventions that combine livelihoods and income generation, rehabilitation of housing and basic services, access to civil and legal documentation, psychosocial support, and structured community reconciliation mechanisms aimed at reducing stigma, preventing tensions, and fostering peaceful coexistence.

By addressing both the immediate needs of returnees and the pressures faced by host communities, CRRISA II seeks to ensure that returns are not only safe, but lasting, reducing the risk of marginalization, social exclusion, and renewed instability.

“Supporting the safe return and reintegration of families from Al-Hol is essential to long-term stability, security, and social cohesion in Iraq,” said Carolina Wennerholm, Head of Unit for Peace and Migration at Sida. “Through this partnership with UNDP, Sweden is investing in solutions that are rights-based, community-driven, and focused on sustainable impact for both returnees and the communities that receive them.”

Implemented in close coordination with national and local authorities, civil society organizations, and community and tribal peace structures, CRRISA II will prioritize governorates with high return rates, with particular attention to women, youth, and other vulnerable groups, including those facing legal, psychosocial, and economic barriers to reintegration.

Through this renewed partnership, UNDP and Sweden reaffirm their shared commitment to helping Iraq translate returns into recovery, ensuring that reintegration strengthens social cohesion, restores trust at the community level, and contributes to a more stable, inclusive, and peaceful future.

“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to dignity, opportunity, and community acceptance as the foundations of sustainable reintegration,” said Titon Mitra, UNDP Resident Representative in Iraq. “Supporting returnees must go hand in hand with strengthening host communities, rebuilding trust, and creating pathways for economic and social inclusion. When reintegration succeeds, it contributes directly to stability; when it fails, the consequences are felt far beyond individual families.”

For media inquiries:

Mohammed Al-Bahbahanee
Communications Specialist, UNDP Iraq
mohammed.al.bahabahanee@undp.org
+964 770 439 9222