April 2022
Increased instability and open military conflicts have given rise to the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters around the world. As a result, countries took immediate action to prevent and criminalize the participation of their citizens in foreign conflicts. Among the main challenges facing these countries were the possible consequences of repatriation, preventing the radicalization of other citizens by returnees and domestic terrorist actions, as well as implementing effective reintegration, rehabilitation and deradicalization programs. This policy analysis aims to shed light on how six Western Balkan countries have dealt with preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE). It is the second in a series of analyzes on this issue. More specifically, this analysis provides a regional statistical perspective on the number of citizens joining foreign conflicts, as well as an overview of the repatriation and reintegration initiatives undertaken by the six Western Balkan countries.