Al-Roj: Despair's Edge

The report details a visit to Al-Roj detention camp in northeastern Syria, housing over 2,000 women and children, many of whom are wives and children of ISIS members. Interviewed women, including a British national who fled to join ISIS in 2015 and now seeks repatriation, express despair, disillusionment with ISIS ideology, and a desire to return home. Many believe their countries will not accept them due to their past affiliations. The camp faces instability as Syrian government forces expand their control, raising concerns about the future of the detainees and potential violence. The situation is further complicated by the recent escape of prisoners from a nearby prison and the shifting geopolitical landscape, with the US urging the SDF to integrate into the Syrian state, a move viewed by Kurds as betrayal.