Help Support CEP’s Groundbreaking Research On Foreign Fighters – From Ukraine To ISIS And Beyond |
The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) is breaking new ground and helping direct the global response to the flow of foreign fighters on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war as well as from terrorist groups like ISIS. As thousands travel in and out of conflict zones and gain combat experience, it is essential to public security that policymakers understand who these individuals and their networks are, how numerous are their ranks, what motivates them, and how to manage their return from the battlefields. This year, CEP published an extensive report, A Year Of Foreign Fighting For Ukraine, along with a new series of reports examining the cases of German women who left the country to join ISIS, returned, and are now standing trial. |
CEP’s pioneering research this year found that there are far fewer foreign fighters than the often-mentioned 20,000 volunteers involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Our reporting exposed that most Westerners fighting in Ukraine come from the U.S. and Central-Eastern Europe, and these origin countries do not consider these foreign fighters “returnees” in the same way they do foreigner terrorist fighters (FTFs) returning from Iraq and Syria, prompting Western governments to re-examine current policies toward returnees. By contrast, CEP’s research showed that German women who joined ISIS were treated as FTFs upon return. CEP followed legal proceedings against five repatriated women and explored what helped – and hindered – their prosecution. CEP’s research aims to unravel the underlying factors driving these foreign fighters, their recruitment networks, and their impact on the dynamics of regional and global conflicts. Your donation, no matter the amount, will help us continue this vital research and expand our efforts. |
