The Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS (also called the Global Coalition against Daesh) is an international partnership launched by the United States in 2014 to coordinate military, political, diplomatic and financial efforts to degrade and defeat ISIS. It comprises roughly 80–90 state members plus several international institutions (e.g., EU, NATO, INTERPOL, Arab League); membership lists and country-by-country partners are published by the Coalition and the U.S. State Department.
Repatriation typically requires bilateral coordination with Iraqi authorities, identity and nationality verification, issuance or return of travel documents, security screening and evidence-sharing, transfer arrangements (secure transport), and domestic legal steps so returnees can be arrested, investigated and prosecuted under the receiving country’s criminal law; processes vary by country and often involve foreign affairs, interior/home and justice ministries and sometimes courts or special units for foreign terrorist fighters.
Many of the non‑Iraqi ISIS suspects held in northeast Syria and moved into Iraqi custody are being detained under Iraqi criminal or security procedures; Iraq has said they will be held in secure Iraqi facilities. Independent reporting and human-rights groups report that detention conditions vary but raise concerns about access to fair trial, length of pre‑trial detention, and due-process safeguards—specific legal status and conditions depend on Iraqi law and case-by-case charges, and detailed public information is limited.
The immediate trigger was a Syrian government offensive and clashes in northeast Syria in mid‑January 2026 that weakened Kurdish-led SDF control of prisons and camps (e.g., al‑Shaddadi, Panorama, al‑Hol), leading to reported prison breaks, transfers of detainees, and heightened fears of ISIS operatives escaping—the instability prompted U.S. and regional moves to transfer or place some IS detainees into Iraqi custody.
No fixed public timeline has been announced; "temporarily" is used diplomatically to indicate short- to medium-term custody until countries can arrange repatriation or prosecution, but durations depend on bilateral negotiations, security screening and domestic legal processes—examples in 2020s show some detainees were held months to years when repatriation stalled.
Countries generally prosecute returnees under their domestic criminal codes (terrorism, membership of a terrorist organization, homicide, war crimes), or transfer suspects to Iraqi courts if Iraq brings charges; some Coalition members have used national courts, special counter‑terrorism courts, military commissions or international mechanisms for evidence-sharing and witness protection. Exact forum depends on nationality, available evidence and bilateral agreements—many human-rights groups stress trials must meet fair‑trial standards.