Most foreign families of suspected Islamic State fighters have left al-Hawl camp since the Syrian government took control. About 6,000 women and children from 42 countries were held in the foreigners’ annex, separate from 20,000 Syrians and Iraqis. They were all arbitrarily detained without trial. Since Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces left the camp on January 20, most foreign residents have left, many heading toward Idlib. Jihan Hanan, former camp director, said, “All of the foreign women have escaped in this period.” She added, “Every day, cars would come and take them at night and take them to Idlib. It wasn’t done in an organised way.” The international community fears these escapes could help IS regroup across Syria and Iraq. The US military has been moving IS detainees to Iraqi prisons and plans to finish soon, aiding US troop withdrawal. Some residents escaped by crawling through fences or crossing into Turkey. A rights group spokesperson, Beatrice Eriksson, warned the chaotic release makes women and children vulnerable to trafficking or extremist recruitment. She said, “Ending arbitrary detention is necessary, but the immediate priority must be to identify and protect these children and families, and to move them through safe, dignified processes.” After the camp handover, visitors saw broken fences and many escape attempts. Residents wish to join relatives in Idlib. Security guards sympathize but detain them anyway. Some detainees believe they will be repatriated, but many governments have refused to take back their nationals. Hanan expressed concern for humanitarian workers' safety after some detainees left. The future of those who left al-Hawl remains unclear, raising serious security and humanitarian questions.