#1 communicating any number on their nationals detained in Syria and Iraq, preferring to treat this sensitive matter with discretion. It should also be noted that the counting method differs from one country (or even administration, often) to another. It is not always clear whether figures available refer to national citizens only or to national “FTFs”, which include individuals who resided (legally or illegally) in the country but do not hold citizenship and would therefore likely not benefit from a repatriation programme. It is not always clear either whether figures include children or not, all adults or only women, those in Iraq or in Syria only. This means that official figures, when available, are not always comparable. It also creates a risk of doublecounting for individuals who resided in one country with the citizenship of another European country (e.g. a French citizen residing in Belgium would likely be listed in both French and Belgian FTF lists), and even more so for children born of two European parents with a different nationality. Adding to the difficulty, some FTFs have been stripped of their nationality, but it is never clear whether they remain part of the circulated figures, not least since such decisions Table: European foreign fighters and children detained in Syria and Iraq Notes: “+” indicates that the number refers to known individual cases, usually in the absence of an official estimate. It suggests more cases are possible. “~” indicates an approximate number, often reflected in a rounded figure or range, which can be an “official” estimate (as in the case of the Netherlands, provided by intelligence services) or “unofficial” estimate (as in the case of France, provided by families, lawyers and journalists). EGMONT Royal Institute for International Relations 5