The number of Europeans fighting in Syria on the side of the jihadists is probably more than 6.000, European Commissioner for Justice Vera Jurova said today.
"We estimate that 5.000 to 6.000 individuals have gone to Syria from all over Europe," Jurova said in an interview with the French newspaper "Figaro", adding that the real number is probably much higher, but cannot be determined due to problems in tracking down foreign fighters. who take part in conflicts, the AFP agency reported.
"After the terrorist attacks in Paris and Copenhagen, we decided that we should not allow ourselves to be led by fear," Jurova said, referring to the two attacks by Islamists in the French capital in January this year, as well as the shooting at a cultural center in the Danish capital, which took place not long after.
Focusing on those who try to travel to Syria to join the jihadists or on those who return from that conflict represents a "late intervention", Jurova pointed out.
The European Commissioner stated that the EU instead wants to improve prevention as a means of reducing the constant outflow of European citizens, which implies researching the various reasons, apart from religious ones, for which people join jihadist groups.
British experts also observed "desire for adventure, boredom, dissatisfaction with their life situation or poor prospects for the future" among those who decided to leave their families and go to Syria, Jurova said.
She added that the EU is also focusing on a faster exchange of information between the police and judicial authorities of the member states, in order to better exchange intelligence data.
The Islamic State, which controls large parts of Syria and Iraq and has declared an "Islamic caliphate", has so far attracted thousands of foreign fighters, including many from the West.
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