At least 40,000 foreign terrorists joined the ranks of the terrorist group Dais. These include several thousand citizens of European Union (EU) countries. Already since the end of 2019, the terms of imprisonment for militant terrorists are coming to an end, and the release of jihadists is expected in the coming years. At the same time, the countries of the European Union continue to address the issue of the repatriation of combatants and their families from Syria and Iraq. In a conversation with industry experts, LSM.lv is currently discussing the debates and concerns related to European terrorist fighters.
IN SHORT:
- The citizens of European countries, who once fought in the ranks of the Dais in their controlled territories, are still an unresolved problem for the countries of the European Union;
- Hundreds of people are imprisoned in European prisons for terrorist offenses. In the coming years, foreign militant terrorists will be released in several Member States of the European Union, thus increasing security threats;
- Following the release of ex-combatants from prison, states envisage reintegration into society and develop mechanisms to ensure this process. However, there is a lack of coordination between countries in developing and implementing these mechanisms;
- It is too early to assess the effectiveness of these mechanisms, as shown by the number of terrorist incidents in recent years, the perpetrators of which have previously served prison sentences;
- Although individuals pose a security threat after release, countries that adhere to the rules of a democratic system cannot carry out lifelong surveillance, says the expert;
- At the same time, European countries are reluctant to address the issue of the repatriation of nationals, both militants and families with children;
- Arguments against repatriation mention security risks, pointing out that most militants will not be able to be convicted in the judiciary due to a lack of evidence;
- Permanent residence in camps without repatriation is problematic both due to the lack of resources of local authorities and the risks of long-term alienation and radicalization of families, says the expert;
- Under Covid-19, repatriation issues are less discussed, but European political dynamics have not changed. According to the expert, in the medium term, the militants and their families are expected to remain in Syrian or Iraqi territories.
Citizens of European countries, foreign militant terrorists who once lived and fought in the ranks of the group “Daīš”, are an unresolved problem of the countries of the European Union. Along with citizens under surveillance and detention in Europe, there are also nationals and their families, including children, in areas in northern Syria, Iraq and Turkey. So far, European countries have not found common mechanisms for finding a solution, both for those who have returned to their countries of origin and for those who are still abroad.
Foreign fighters are terrorists – after returning to Europe
At present, most foreign terrorist fighters who have previously returned to the countries continue to serve their sentences. However, among those who were once convicted are those whose prison sentences have either expired or are about to expire. After May 2020 dataFor example, in Belgium, there are 165 people convicted of terrorist offenses in prisons. In Britain, the figure is even higher, with 183 prisoners serving as radicalized extremists. The highest number of prisoners is in France, where 522 people are imprisoned for terrorist offenses.
As the 2020 study indicates EUROPOL, in the coming years, foreign militant terrorists will be released again in several European Union member states, thus increasing security threats and risks. For example, in France by the end of 2019 about 40 prisoners previously convicted of terrorism were released from prison. As in other Western European countries, whose citizens have joined the ranks of the Dais group in large numbers, another 20 prisoners will be released in France by 2022 alone. This is explained by the fact that at the time of sentencing, in most cases the time limits for serving the sentence did not exceed ten years, average between five and seven years.
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According to the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (The Italian Institute for International Political Studies) associate researcher Mateo Pugleze (Matteo Pugliese), not all those who returned to their countries of origin were prosecuted for both lack of evidence and inadequate counter – terrorism legislation. The researcher points out that without being in prison, foreign terrorist terrorists can pose a serious threat to the security of any country.
Following the release of ex-combatants, European countries are planning to reintegrate them into society and are developing mechanisms to ensure this process. In France, for example, prisoners are subject to judicial supervision and an administrative security check of at least one year.
However, prisoners continue to commit crimes after release. On November 2019 attack in London sentenced Usman Kahn (Usman Khan) was imprisoned before the attack after spending time in Pakistan when he set up jihadist camps there. Previously, in May 2017, worked attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels carried out by Mehdi Nemus, a Belgian national (‘Dais’) (Mehdi Nemmouche).
Despite calls for coordination of EU countries’ reintegration and deradicalisation policies, countries use different post-release mechanisms due to differing perceptions of legislation and threat levels. This approach is not successful in the medium term, creating inconsistencies in the policies of EU countries and alleviating the vulnerability of countries to security threats, Puglēze said. However, it is too early to assess the effectiveness of post-release mechanisms, “because the truth is that when countries adhere to the rules of a democratic system, they cannot monitor former foreign fighter terrorists for life,” Puglese said.
Foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq
With Launch of the Turkish campaign In northern Syria, at the end of 2019, the debate on European citizens in temporary custody in Syria, Iraq and also in Turkish repatriation centers intensified. These include militants, their families and children.
European countries have shown reluctance to address repatriation issues by repeatedly rejecting calls for repatriation of nationals. One of the main reasons is public safety concerns, but there are also legal issues. In most European countries, being in the territories of Syria or Iraq, including the territories controlled by Dais, is not considered a criminal offense. Due to a lack of evidence, it is rarely possible to prove that the militants in question have killed, enslaved or performed other acts in the ranks of Dais that would require long prison sentences.
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As the European Council on International Relations (European Council on Foreign Relations) Chief Political Researcher Anthony Dvorkin (Anthony Dworkin), ‘The continued presence of foreign fighters and supporters in northern Syria is problematic in many ways’. He said this was due to the resource constraints of the Syrian Kurdish authorities on the long-term maintenance of ex-combatants in accordance with the rule of law. At the same time, a large number of children live in unsuitable conditions in the camps, and growing up in such an environment raises concerns about the risks of long-term alienation and radicalization.
Despite the fact that most industry experts point to problems with the reluctance of European countries to repatriate citizens, national resistance should not be underestimated. Although Covid-19 has received even less attention to repatriation issues, European political dynamics have not changed significantly. “In the medium term, most likely [kaujinieki un viņu ģimenes] will stay where they are. Therefore, in this respect, although very problematic, [šīs problēmas] can survive, ”Dvorkins said.
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