EU ministers discuss jihadist travel to Syria, border security
While the G6 meeting of interior ministers on Nov. 6 focused on jihadists traveling from Europe to Syria via Turkey, the European Parliament is considering putting in place more stringent security checks and travel restrictions.
The question of how to stop European jihadists traveling to the Middle East has been the most important issue on the agenda at every meeting of the European Union interior ministers of late. The issue was again taken up on Nov. 6 in Paris at the G6 meeting of interior ministers, who represent the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Poland and Spain. Turkey’s interior minister was also invited to the meeting, because nearly all jihadists travel to Syria via Turkey. The objective of the EU ministers was clear: "Build a global front against a global terrorist threat." The return of jihadists and possible terrorist attacks in Europe has also been of great concern, and therefore the EU states prepare to tighten security checks at the Schengen borders and improve the passenger records system.
The meeting included ministers of the six largest countries in Europe along with Turkey, the United States and Canada. French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve had personally invited his Turkish counterpart, Efkan Ala. Turkey was treated as the “guest of honor” at the meeting, because nearly all European jihadists who fought with the Islamic State (IS) and had returned confessed to first flying to Istanbul, then traveling to Turkey’s southernmost province of Hatay, where they paid smugglers only $50 to help them cross the border into Syria. The firsthand testimonies from the jihadists pointed all fingers to Turkey for enabling their entrance to Syria.
According to the German Interior Ministry, at least 3,000 Europeans are fighting in the ranks of IS. The French also confirm that number and note that a third of them are from France. Cazenevue said the number of French jihadists has increased by 82% since the beginning of 2014. According to French officials, the number of jihadists rose from 555 in early 2014 to 932 by October.
As Sophie Claudet wrote for Al-Monitor on Nov. 12: "What is even more troubling is that France provides the largest number of jihadists of all the Western countries, so much so that one in three Westerners fighting in Iraq and Syria is believed to be French." It seems that the French government has never been more intent in stopping that flow, and one of their greatest concerns has become the "returnees" who might decide to engage in a jihadist home front. For this reason, the French decided to cooperate with Turkey rather than merely criticizing it for failing to stop the European jihadist wannabes, with Cazeneuve traveling to Ankara and personally inviting Ala to the G6 meeting of interior ministers.
