Repatriating ISIS Collaborators and Children: Attitudes and Narratives

• In Event: Reintegration and Reconciliation in the Wake of Islamist Armed Conflicts

Abstract

Since Islamic State lost most of its territory in Syria and Iraq, thousands of foreign terrorist fighters and their families have been trying to return to their countries of origin. Most of them remain in limbo in overcrowded camps and prisons because political leaders fear their repatriation would cause public backlash. However, there is little data on what the public thinks about this complex and pressing issue, and why people think this way. We conducted a multi-method study in Belgium (n=3,309), Norway (n=1,594), and the United Kingdom (n=3,191) to find out. First, using a vignette experiment, we evaluated the extent to which citizens consider a repatriate’s profile, risk to national security, and expressions of regret when forming their opinions. Second, via an open-ended survey question, we shed more detailed and nuanced light on those and other determinants of public attitudes towards repatriation. Third, we verify to what extent public opinion overlaps with media coverage on this contentious issue. Taken together, our findings suggest that bringing ISIS children home may not be as controversial as widely believed, and that media campaigns emphasizing safety and remorse may play a crucial role if politicians decide to allow their parents to return as well.

Authors

• Amélie Godefroidt, KU Leuven

• Karin Dyrstad, Norwegian University of Science and Technology