The war in Ukraine has led to an unprecedented number of individuals traveling
to the country in support of the Ukrainian government. Many Ukrainian c


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CEP Webinar: Extremist Foreign Fighters Traveling To Ukraine – Security Risks
And Mitigation Measures

 

(New York, N.Y. / Berlin) – The war in Ukraine has led to an unprecedented
number of individuals traveling to the country in support of the Ukrainian
government. Many Ukrainian citizens and dual nationals are returning to their
homeland, and several thousand non-Ukrainian volunteers responded to the
Ukrainian government’s call for support and registered with Ukrainian embassies
around the globe.

 

Among these volunteers are also a number of violence-oriented extremists, from
both the extreme right and extreme left. These individuals present a latent
security risk to their home countries. Their participation in the conflict will
significantly increase their potential for violence upon their return.
Therefore, if possible, their departure should be disrupted. This is
particularly relevant for violence-oriented right-wing extremists in order to
prevent the misuse of their presence in Ukraine in disinformation campaigns.
Furthermore, movements of Russian right-wing extremists fighting on Russia’s
side should be closely monitored, as some of these groups have provided support
for attacks in Europe in the past.

 

If the departure of violence-oriented extremists cannot be prevented, their
travel movements and their activities in the conflict zone should be documented
and a system for returnee management should be established.

 

Since 2019, CEP has been systematically analyzing the phenomenon of violent
extremists participating in the conflict in Ukraine, as well as paramilitary
structures in Central and Eastern Europe. Based on this research and current
observations,a new CEP policy
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brief summarizes the current state of affairs, including discussions in
relevant German-language online forums, and makes a number of concrete
recommendations on how to mitigate the emerging security risks.

 

Based on this research and in-depth monitoring of the current situation, CEP
experts will discuss the various challenges governments face in preventing the
departure of such individuals as well as the necessary proactive steps
governments in Europe and North America should urgently initiate to establish a
flexible system for returnee management, including in cooperation with relevant
civil society organizations. Such as system must encompass options for
prosecutions as well as deradicalization and reintegration mechanisms.

 

The webinar will be conducted in English via Zoom.

 

Date: Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. ET / 15:00 – 16:30 CET

 

EVENT PROGRAM:

 

Speakers:

Alexander Ritzmann – CEP senior advisor

Joshua Fisher-Birch – CEP research analyst

Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler – CEP senior director

Sofia Koller – CEP senior research analyst

 

Moderator:

Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler – CEP senior director

 

The initial discussion will be followed by a Q&A-session open to all
participants.

 

REGISTRATION:

 

To participate in this webinar please register via this link:

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Please register up to 1 hour before the webinar start so that your
registration can be approved in time.

 

Please feel free to forward this invitation to colleagues with an interest in
the subject.

 

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