The return of foreign fighters to EU soil: Ex-post evaluation

Please note: Each EPRS Study is assigned a DOI (digital object identifier), which is a safe and long term way of ensuring a hyperlink to the full text of this report. However, when ESO creates this record, on occasion the DOI still has not been activated by the EU Bookshop. If you find the source url hyperlink does not work please use the alternative location hyperlink listed as a related url.Since the Syrian conflict began in 2011, thousands of EU nationals travelled or attempted to travel in conflict zones in Iraq and Syria to join insurgent terrorist groups, such as ISIL/Da'esh ('Islamic State'). Of those, it had been estimated that around 30% had already returned to their home countries by 2018.

The issue of foreign fighters had been high on the political agenda at both Member State and EU level for the last five years and touched upon a wide range of policies:

+ policies related to the prevention of radicalisation
+ to information exchange at EU level
+ to criminal justice responses to returnees
+ to disengagement/deradicalisation inside and outside prisons.

This study aimed at outlining the EU response to the issue of returning foreign fighters and their families. It furthermore examined how six Member States have responded to this phenomenon so far (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, the Netherlands and the UK).

These Member States were confronted with significant challenges in dealing with foreign fighters that combined legal, ethical and practical questions regarding their obligations and capabilities as regards the handling of the foreign fighters still abroad and the returnees already on EU soil. Meanwhile, Member States' existing programmes aiming at tackling radicalisation were difficult to evaluate, leading to uncertainties as regards the efficiency of current practices.

European Parliament: European Parliamentary Research Service: Study, May 2018: The return of foreign fighters to EU soil: Ex-post evaluation http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2018/621811/EPRS_STU(2018)621811_EN.pdf

ECFR: Commentary, 13.12.17: The problem with a 'shoot-to-kill' policy on foreign fighters http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-problem-with-a-shoot-to-kill-policy-on-foreign-fighters/

International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT): Topic: Foreign Fighters https://icct.nl/topic/foreign-fighters/

ICCT: Policy Brief, May 2018: Capacity-Building Challenges: Identifying Progress and Remaining Gaps in Dealing with Foreign (Terrorist) Fighters https://icct.nl/publication/capacity-building-challenges-identifying-progress-and-remaining-gaps-in-dealing-with-foreign-terrorist-fighters/

OSCE: Press Release, 10.05.18: Human rights-compliant measures to addressing challenge of returning foreign terrorist fighters explored at OSCE Counter-Terrorism Conference in Rome https://www.osce.org/chairmanship/380764

NATO Review, 09.08.18: Can ISIS regroup? Lessons from interviews with ex-ISIS fighters https://www.nato.int/docu/review/2018/Also-in-2018/can-isis-regroup-lessons-from-interviews-with-ex-isis-fighters-syria/EN/index.htm

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