Returning foreign fighters: the extent of the threat to the UK and prospects for reintegration
Such has been the reputation of the Islamic State (IS) that all those who left the UK to join its ranks but then returned are considered a threat to our society. But there is no typical returnee, and the threat they pose depends largely on their reasons for going and for coming back. Few returned after 2015, and those who came back earlier were not as much of a problem as feared. But if returnees find the same conditions that they sought to leave behind, some may look for another black flag to follow. It makes sense therefore to address the difficult task of ensuring their disengagement from violence and to ensure their social (re)integration. Attempts to do so are still undeveloped, but it seems clear that success will most likely come from community engagement, with necessary government support.