Kosovo Citizens’ Involvement as Foreign Fighters in Syria and Iraq – Causes and Consequences

Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) is organizing the public presentation of the report “Causes and Consequences of Kosovo Citizens’ Involvement as Foreign Fighters in Syria and Iraq”. 

The event will take place on July 2, 2015 at 10 AM in the BCSP library (Djure Jaksica 6/5, 2^nd floor, Belgrade). 

Beside the report's author, Shpend Kursani from the Kosovo Center for Security Studies, participants in the discussion will be Nils Ragnar Kamsvag, Norwegian Ambassador in Belgrade, and Sonja Stojanovic Gajic, BCSP Director.

The discussion at the event will put special focus on the following topics:

• Causes of the spread of religious fundamentalism and violent extremism in Kosovo;
• Channels for recruitment of foreign fighters;
• Consequences of the ways in which Kosovo institutions are dealing with this problem;
• Possibilities of cooperation between Belgrade and Pristina security institutions in preventing further recruitment of foreign fighters;
• Possible prevention strategies, through work with groups who are at higher risk of radicalization, as well as with returnees.

According to the report that was published in April 2015, there are 232 confirmed cases of foreign fighters from Kosovo, which places Kosovo on the top of thelist of countries with the highest number of foreign fighters per capita. The report is based on the data obtained through in-depth interviews with several dozens of former foreign fighters, family members of foreign fighters and journalists who investigate and report on this issue, and also on the data obtained through the analysis of the existing literature on religious fundamentalism and extremism. The report contains recommendations for various institutions and actors within Kosovo society.

The report has attracted great attention, not only in Kosovo and in the region, but also internationally. The Economist published an article with a direct reference to the findings of this study.