Between 2011 and 2016, the number of “foreign fighters” rose to more than 42 000 – among them 5 000 Westerners and close to 7 000 North Africans. By early 2016, almost a third of these foreign fighters had returned to their countries of origin. Now that IS is suffering serious military setbacks, the flow of foreign fighters seems to have dwindled. This suggests the vital need for strategies that address issues of migration and refugees, and the risks that returning foreign fighters may pose. Unlike refugees or migrants, foreign fighters returning from the conflict in Syria and Iraq are a serious security threat at home and internationally.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 08, 2017 10:52 UTC