The Kurds have endured immense suffering under successive dictators in Syria, including during the hardships that afflicted the entire nation following the 2011 revolution. Despite the liberation of their hometowns from the Islamic State (ISIS), many Syrian Kurds still find themselves displaced. This unfortunate situation is often attributed to the current governing authorities in Syrian Kurdistan, referred to as “the brothers.”
When violence erupted in 2011, thousands of Syrian Kurds migrated to Europe, while a larger number sought refuge in the Kurdistan Region. Yet, even though ISIS has been defeated on the ground, most Syrian Kurdish refugees are hesitant to return. In fact, the flow of refugees from Syrian Kurdistan to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has not ceased, primarily due to the military governance imposed by Kurdish factions in the region.
According to the Joint Crisis Coordination Center (JCC) of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), there are currently 20,641 refugee families totaling 92,184 individuals, who reside in camps and host communities within the Kurdistan Region.
Missing home but scared to return
A Kurdish journalist and political activist from Syria, identified by the initials S.D. for security reasons, left Qamishli in northeast Syria in 2018 with hopes of finding a more promising future in Germany, where he could freely engage in activism. In a recent interview, S.D. revealed that he continues to publish articles under a pseudonym due to concerns for the safety of his family, who remain in Syrian Kurdistan.
Presently, Syrian Kurdistan is governed by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), an operational political entity led by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes fighters associated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The governing parties face frequent criticism for human rights violations, the use of child soldiers, limited democracy, and restricted political freedom beyond the ideologies of the PKK.
According to S.D., the armed forces and governing political parties in Syrian Kurdistan have severely restricted political activism, causing numerous activists to seek escape routes with little hope of ever returning home. This unfortunate reality transforms refugees into exiles, exacerbating the challenges of living apart from home and family.
Most of these exiles still reside in the Kurdistan Region. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) reports that most Syrian refugees arrived in the Kurdistan Region between 2010 and 2014, coinciding with the onset of the conflict in Syria. The year 2013 saw the highest reported influx of refugees.
However, not all Syrian refugees live within the camps of the Kurdistan Region. After almost a decade of residing in the region, nearly half of the refugee population has integrated into local communities. According to the JCC, a total of 49,000 Syrian refugee households currently live in host communities outside the camps. This means that out of the total 246,810 Syrian refugees, approximately 154,626 individuals have chosen to make their homes in the towns and cities of the Kurdistan Region, with Duhok and Erbil being the primary locations.
“Our homeland is Rojava; we grew up there. It's what we love the most,” said Amina, a Syrian refugee residing in Domiz Camp in the Kurdistan Region. “We can't return due to the dire situation there. Our children have grown up, and if we return, they will be forced into compulsory military service.”
Living under the AANES
The local Kurdish authority in Syrian Kurdistan is often criticized for its military-like rule and the repeated accusations of recruiting child soldiers and committing human rights violations.
In 2019, after facing extensive pressure and criticism, the SDF finally signed an agreement with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, to cease and prevent the recruitment of children as soldiers. However, reports indicate that this practice has not yet been eradicated, as armed groups affiliated with the PKK continue to enlist children under the age of 18 for military training and deployment to conflict zones.
A report by Human Rights Watch, released three months after the agreement was signed, stated, "Despite pledges to stop the practice, the YPG [the PKK-affiliated People's Protection Units] has recruited children, including girls, and utilized them in hostilities. The YPG must immediately demobilize children in its ranks and cease recruiting children." The report also highlighted that these recruited children are mostly taken from vulnerable families residing in displacement camps under the YPG’s control.
Abdullah, another Syrian Kurdish refugee living in Domiz Camp in Duhok, expressed his longing to have one more chance to meet his mother again. Playing a musical instrument and singing a melancholic melody, Abdullah shared, “Life in a refugee camp is challenging, but we still prefer it over returning to Syria. The political and security situation there is difficult, and the economy has made life extremely challenging for its citizens.”
Despite strong military cooperation between the US-led Coalition and the Kurdish-led SDF in their joint fight against ISIS, a recent Human Rights Report by the US State Department criticized the local Syrian Kurdish authorities for their human rights violations. The 2023 report pointed out that: “the SDF continued to unlawfully detain individuals affiliated with or perceived to be affiliated with political parties opposing the PYD or AANES. The detainees included opposition members, civil society activists, and media workers.”
While opposition political parties are strictly limited, if not excluded, from influencing the region's policies and administration, many of them consistently call for an end to the violations committed by the PYD. Their primary focus remains on the release of their imprisoned members held in PYD prisons. However, this plea has received little response due to the ruling parties' refusal to demonstrate any flexibility, leading to failed attempts to revive the “Kurd-Kurd Dialogue” in Syria.
Despite enduring ongoing hardships, Syrian refugees have not lost hope. They believe that a brighter future will eventually allow them to return to their homes and reunite with their families. However, this can only be realized when there is no longer a fear of imposed ideologies and economic conditions improve.
Mohammed Dargalayi is a journalist and photographer, who has been working for nearly 13 years. He is a member of the Kurdistan Union of Journalists and the Kurdistan Photographers Association. He is a member of IFJ Global.
