Networking nirvanaanalyzing and assessing the parallel between jihadist and human trafficking recruitment

Resum

Since ISIS unilaterally declared it so-called Caliphate on June 29, 2014, it has attracted at least 7,700 Western foreign fighters plus another 35,000 extremists from another 120 countries. This flight offoreign fighters, and now anxiety associated with their potential return to their countries of origin, has become one ofthe main security concems in Westem countries This doctoral dissertation draws from what is known in the field of human trafficking to provide an altemative understanding to the securitization of engagement and disengagement from politically violent groups such as TSTS. The 4P strategy utilized to combat human trafficking (prevention, protection, prosecution and partnersbips) in particular offers a holistic approach that may prove appropriate for the prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration of violent extremist offenders and retuming foreign fighters, particularly women. In order to confirm the utility of human trafficking as an altemative for counter-terrorism experts and those countering violent extremism, the parallels between the recruitment mechanisms employed by jihadist groups and those employed by human trafficking networks are explored. A preliminary literature review reveals that no prior studies have bighlighted these similarities and have therefore not examined the applicability of the 4P strategy when it comes to countering violent extremism. A discourse analysis then documents that media dominates the discourse surrounding ISIS. Tbis reality affects both academic research and policymaking. Thereafter, an in-depth case study of ISIS recruitment reveals that its mechanisms are very similar to those employed by human traffickers, including the importance given to ideas such as 'livelihood improvement,' or 'selling utopía.• Thirty percent of the foreign fighters that answered ISIS' call for hijra (migration) have now returned to their countries of origin. Although prosecution must be incorporated, most of these foreign :fighters will be released and, in the cases of women who have not taken up arms, there willlikely be no incarceration. The :field ofhuman tra:fficking offers a series of reintegration and rehabilitation mechanisms that could be tailored to meet the needs ofthose who once supported violent extremism but were never directly engaged in it Several success stories show how partnerships between law enforcement, activists and former extremists can have a positive impact regarding prevention and reversing the radicalization process. As the 4P's model makes apparent, ultimate solutions must be more than merely punitive. Effective rehabilitation and reintegration will prove a crucial component of addressing the core issues violent extremism protrudes from. Tbis dissertation hypothesizes and concludes that we need not rebuild the wheel, and that much of what has been learned internationally from the War on Trafficking can make a positive contribution to the War on Terror.