European Foreign Fighters in Syria: Dynamics and Responses

The number of European jihadists currently fighting in Syria surpasses that of any comparable past mobilisation. Authorities throughout the continent fear that some returnees from the conflict, having become further radicalised and having acquired technical skills, might carry out attacks in Europe. They sometimes hold up as an example the man alleged to have carried out the shooting at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels in May 2014. The profiles of European jihadists in Syria are extremely diverse. Some have long been involved in militant actions. Others converted to Islam or became radicalised only shortly before travelling to Syria. Some reach the country through recruitment networks, while others travel independently. European countries have reacted to the phenomenon with a mixture of hard and soft measures. They often find it difficult to file criminal charges against individuals seeking to travel to or having returned from Syria because of the problems involved in obtaining sufficient evidence. Various softer measures have been put in place to dissuade individuals from travelling and to rehabilitate returnees.