Sweden has proposed legislation that would put in place passport restrictions against Swedes looking to fight alongside ISIS, although it has not yet become law.
Immigration in itself is not the problem. A fair amount of homegrown terrorists are ethnically Swedish or Norwegian or Danish. Furthermore, most newcomers to the Nordic countries are peaceful, contributing citizens.
A new way?
Interestingly, Denmark is moving forward on a program to rehabilitate Islamists. The so called Aarhus model (named after the Danish city) includes, in part, mentoring for at-risk persons, a hotline for concerned parents, and a national center to assist Danes looking to leave an "extremist environment." The program seeks to establish a dialogue with the communities seen as being at the highest risk for radicalization. It employs field workers in conjunction with influential members of the community to identify and intervene with people thought to be showing warning signs for radicalization.
Whether this model will find success, it's too early to say. But we should wish the Danes and the rest of the region success in their struggle against Islamic extremism.
The numbers out the Nordics are a reminder that while societal preconditions may at times make a person more likely to become radicalized, the fight is inherently an ideological one that must be won on ideological grounds. The fact that Islamic extremism has grown steadily in countries with some of the highest quality of life and the most generous social spending is proof of this reality.
