Check out my new 'Insight' for the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation: "European Foreign Fighters in Syria"

In recent weeks there has been much alarm about European Muslims joining the Syrian rebels. A report in the UK’s Independent claimed that more than 100 Britons have gone to Syria; Le Figaro gives an estimate of 50-80 people from France; Der Spiegel talks about “dozens” of Germans; and Jyllands-Posten mentions 45 Danes. The Netherlands even raised its terrorism threat level to “substantial” based on worries that – of the 100 or so individuals who are believed to have travelled to Syria – some may return to Holland and become involved in terrorist attacks.
This ICSR Insight provides a first full empirical assessment of how many Europeans have joined the rebels in Syria. It shows that the extent to which the Syrian conflict has mobilised Muslims across the world is significant: between 140 and 600 Europeans have gone to Syria since early 2011, representing 7-11 per cent of the foreign fighter total. European security services are well advised to adopt an intelligence led, highly discriminate approach towards dealing with returning fighters.
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