Between States of Movement
Research on the perceptions of the re-integration of former ISIL combatants and their families in Northeast Syria.
Case Details
Type: Article
Year: 2022
Themes: Reintegration, Conflict Sensitivity, ISIL
Region: Northeast Syria (Raqqa, Deir-ez-Zor)
Status: Read full article
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The Story
The territorial demise of the Islamic State ‘Caliphate’ in March 2019 left thousands of former combatants in detention and hundreds of thousands displaced across Northeast Syria. As releases from Al-Hol and other facilities accelerated, the future status of ISIL-affiliated families — and their susceptibility to ISIL ideology — became one of the region’s most pressing reintegration questions.
To inform that policy debate with evidence rather than assumption, MECS conducted research in 2022 on the perceptions and lived experience of reintegration. The study surveyed 780 respondents across 12 communities in Raqqa and Deir-ez-Zor, evenly distributed between former combatant households and host populations.
What MECS Did
MECS designed a comparative study balancing former combatant households and host communities across two governorates, allowing us to test where perceptions diverge and where assistance flows are reinforcing or eroding social cohesion. Three quarters of the surveyed combatant households were female-headed, with 73% of respondents released from Al-Hol via the tribal sponsorship system.
The research surfaced an emerging trend of ‘financial sponsorship’ in Deir-ez-Zor, where bribes were exchanged for releases — a parallel system existing alongside the formal tribal channel. Documentation gaps for children of foreign ISIL combatants emerged as a particular concern, affecting 16% of interviewed households and constraining access to essential services.
A notable misperception was identified: although former combatant households are generally assessed as living in poorer conditions, they receive disproportionately higher volumes of cash and humanitarian assistance than host communities — a discrepancy that risks fostering resentment and fuelling social tensions if left unaddressed.
The Results
Findings emphasised that reintegration must be approached incrementally and communicated proactively to host communities. Education emerged as both the optimal long-term lever for reducing radicalisation risk and a flashpoint where bullying and exclusion can derail progress. The research outputs informed policy dialogue with AANES authorities, INGOs and donor governments active in the region.