Common practice? Why is it a common practice?

"The Jordanian military keeps about 1,400 Syrian army and police defectors in a separate facility here, with limited chances to visit their families, a common practice to avoid the militarization of the civilian camps."  Why is it a common practice?  I know that US foreign correspondents adhere to the strict rules of giving preferential treatment to the pro-US dictatorships in the region, but why is separating men from their families a common practice?  I asked a seasoned NGO person in the region, and she also said that this is not common.