The influence of terrorism extends beyond battlefields, affecting states both directly and indirectly, even outside conflict zones. Although the phenomenon of foreigners joining militant groups abroad is not new, the conflicts in Iraq and Syria have intensified Western fears—particularly concerning individuals who fought for Daesh/ISIS and other violent extremist organisations.
European states are among those most concerned with the “foreign terrorist fighters” (FTF) issue. Thou- sands of European-origin terrorist sympathisers have left their home countries to join conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Somalia and so on. The risks and threats these individuals pose have not remained confined to conflict zones; rather, their potential return to their home countries has become a significant se- curity challenge. Facing this complex threat, Euro- pean states have made a strategic miscalculation in their approach to resolving the FTFs issue. As- tonishingly, European governments have chosen to outsource the detention of Daesh/ISIS-affiliated ter- rorists—some of the most dangerous actors of our time—to camps run by another terrorist organisa- tion, the PYD/YPG, in northeastern Syria. This deci- sion is nothing short of alarming, effectively placing international security concerns into the hands of a group with its own troubling agenda.
