In the vast majority of cases, perpetrators of attacks in Europe are not migrants, according to a study commissioned by outgoing Minister of Justice and Migration David van Weel. The researchers therefore describe terrorism as “a homegrown problem.”
Compared to the number of asylum applications in Europe, the number of migrants associated with radicalization or attacks is “infinitesimally small.” This is according to the research by the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT).
The researchers initially looked at existing literature and also studied the profiles of 55 people involved in 43 jihadist attacks between 2014 and 2024. These included the attacks in November 2015 in Paris, in December 2016 in Berlin, and in October 2023 in Brussels.
They conclude that only a small number of migrants radicalized during or after their arrival in Europe and then proceeded to carry out an attack. Of the people who were involved in the investigated attacks, the majority were actually born in Europe or had lived there for at least five years.
In the period from 2014 to 2024, only five people carried out an attack within a year of their arrival in Europe. The researchers therefore state that terrorism in Europe is primarily a homegrown problem.
Traumatic experiences and uncertainty about the future
The ICCT research does not deny that terrorists infiltrate migration flows to Europe. The researchers also state that migrants may be susceptible to radicalization due to traumatic experiences and uncertainty about the future.
“As a result, some migrants have been radicalized to violent extremism,” they write. But again, they emphasize that it “concerns very small numbers.”
The researchers emphasize that it is important not to view entire population groups as criminal. They also recommend protecting asylum seekers from radical influence. According to Minister van Weel, the Netherlands is already working on most of the recommendations made by the ICCT.