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Returning jihadis should be recruited to combat ISIL, Kerchove says

Gilles de Kerchove, the EU’s senior counter-terrorism official, has urged that fighters returning to their home countries from Syria and Iraq should be recruited to talk publicly about their experiences. De Kerchove explained that in cases where jihadists were not considered a threat, they should be used by the government to reveal details of the brutal conditions within ISIL or other rebel groups. He said: “Some returnees who don’t have ‘blood on their hands’ are a strong credible voice for counter-narrative purposes. They can explain what they have experienced, that they thought they were joining a nice idea of the caliphate but encountered people sexually abusing others, or being violent.” It is estimated that around 30,000 people from 100 countries have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join ISIL and other extremist groups. Official data also shows over 800 individuals have travelled from the UK to fight, half of which are believed to have since returned. De Kerchove warned that prosecuting all returnees would be counterproductive and recommended a range of options should be introduced to cater for both hardened fighters and those who had embarked for possible war only to abandon plans and return traumatised. De Kerchove added: “If there is no evidence that they are an active jihadi – for instance, they crossed the border and spent a week with the organisation but were really just washing dishes, a fourth-rank footsoldier, then saw people beheaded and rushed to leave, saying, ‘I made a big mistake’ – is it really worth putting them on the trail that leads to prison? “Prisons are major incubators of radicalisation. Therefore, if you can avoid prison for those who do not have blood on their hands and are genuinely ready to engage in a rehabilitation programme, why don’t we try alternatives. We are working hard to smooth and speed up the way we get access to an evidence store. One of the problems is that we have to go through a mutual legal assistance request. "These requests are slow and cumbersome, and we have to abide by US law. For me the location of the data should be irrelevant. We should have a mechanism by which the internet companies provide us with the information based on EU law, directly and easily.” A Home Office spokesman commented: “Decisions on people who return from Syria and Iraq are taken on a case-by-case basis. Some may have been exposed to traumatic experiences.”

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