Evaluating Counter Violent Extremism (CVE): A fundamental challenge to be addressed

The extraordinary increase of foreign fighters from all over the world joining the ranks of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria and Iraq in recent years has been as worrying as unexpected for the international community. In 2014, around 15,000 foreign fighters from 80 countries joined ISIL, mainly from Muslim-majority countries such as Tunisia and Saudi Arabia, but also from Asia, Europe and the United States (Cronin 2015). Moreover, the total number of foreign fighters almost doubled by December 2015, amounting to 27,000 at that time. The number of Europeans fighting for ISIL also shockingly increased in 2015, growing to 5,000. They were mainly from France, Great Britain, Germany and Belgium (Gaub 2016).

Sustainable Development Goals:

Good Health and Well-Being