December 2021

Violent extremism and terrorism have caused a worldwide distress leading to a global mobilization to initiate multidisciplinary approaches in tackling the issue. After the unrest in Syria sparked a civil war and the Russian aggression in Ukraine started, Western Balkan countries faced a serious challenge after becoming hotbeds of foreign fighters when a number of their citizens joined these conflicts. Preventing their citizens from joining foreign conflicts, as well as acts of targeted violence and terrorism was of upmost importance for these countries. The aim of this policy analysis is to shed light on how the six Western Balkan countries dealt with preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE). It is intended to be the first of a series of analysis on the issue. While this paper will focus on specific country initiatives and actor-based analysis, the upcoming publications will provide a regional statistical outlook concerning the phenomenon of foreign fighters, including the repatriation and reintegration initiatives, convictions, as well as the challenges faced by the six Western Balkan countries.

• 20 December
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