Factors Driving Foreign Fighters to Join Militants: A Case Study of German Combatants in Iraq and Syria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35516/Hum.2026.10982Keywords:
Foreign fighters, Germans joining ISIS in Syria and Iraq, Recruitment of foreign fighters by MilitantsAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to examine the psychological, social, political, and technological factors that drive German citizens to join the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria. It specifically sought to identify the push and pull factors, within the aforementioned categories, that contribute to the spread of extremism and to analyse their impact in the context of recruiting foreign fighters.
Methods: The study adopted a systematic review approach, using three databases, JSTOR, Gale Academic OneFile, and Emerald Insight, to conduct the search process. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, such as setting the time frame between 2015 and 2020 and focusing on peer-reviewed journals or academic articles. This process resulted in the selection of three research studies relevant to the topic.
Results: Recruitment was shaped by psychological vulnerabilities, social fragmentation, political grievances, and online mobilization. Pull factors included propaganda, mass recruitment, identity consolidation, and peer networking within Salafi Muslim communities. Push factors included weak social integration, unemployment, low education, and criminal records. Most recruits were socially marginalized young men. Social media acted mainly as a reinforcing tool, not a primary recruitment method.
Conclusion: The study found that social and political marginalization, combined with psychological vulnerability and technological exposure, significantly contributes to the radicalization of German foreign fighters. Weak social integration was the most consistent push factor. Proactive measures, such as inclusive social policies, investment in marginalized groups, and early-warning systems, are recommended to counter extremism.
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