The departure of hundreds of young Europeans to fight in Syria poses “a serious threat” to Europe’s security, the EU’s anti-terror chief Gilles de Kerchove said on Thursday.
EU citizens were heading “in the hundreds” to Syria which was drawing foreign fighters “in the thousands if we aggregate with those leaving from the Balkans and North Africa,” he said.
Speaking to the European Parliament’s home affairs committee, the EU intelligence expert said “the core of our threat remains related to al-Qaeda” despite the group’s “very much degraded” core in recent years.
Along with the proliferation of al-Qaeda affiliates touting regional agendas – such as al-Qaeda in Syria or al-Qaeda in the Maghreb, or AQIM – a “worrying development is the attraction of Syria” to youngsters from the 27-nation bloc, he said.
“If they are not killed there, they will pose a serious threat to our security,” de Kerchove said.
“How can we stem the flow and face the return?” he asked, saying that it was “a difficult phenomenon” to face up to as some of the volunteers were romantics while others were “radicalised” militants sent to Syria through networks.