Jihadist Foreign Terrorist Fighters: Contemporary Threats and Challenges in East Central Europe

Abstract

This paper deals with the phenomenon of Jihadist foreign terrorist fighters from the perspective of East Central European countries. Over the past decade, the term ‘foreign terrorist fighter’ has become established in scholarly literature, international law and the popular consciousness. Today, Jihadist foreign terrorist fighters are closely watched globally for the security threat they pose. Although the greatest danger in Europe is seen to be to nations in the west, several cases in East Central Europe – involving terrorists travelling through the region and attempting to radicalise local jihadists – have led Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to adopt important legislation to eliminate this threat.

Keywords

• Foreign Terrorist Fighters; Jihadism; Counter-terrorism; East Central Europe; Inter-Agency Cooperation.