EU ponders Trump’s demand to bring back IS fighters

BRUSSELS — U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand that European countries take back their citizens fighting in Syria is receiving a mixed reaction as nations ponder how to bring home-grown Islamic State extremists to trial.

The question of foreign fighters has been a conundrum for Europeans for several years. Islamic State prisoners could be exposed to torture or the death penalty if they remain in jail in Syria or Iraq, and the EU opposes the death penalty.

But few European countries have embassies in Syria or Iraq, let alone extradition treaties. Proving who is who and gathering solid evidence against suspects is virtually impossible. Then there is the question of what to do with the wives and children of European jihadis.

“It is certainly not as easy as they think in America,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters Monday. “German citizens have the right to return, but we have little ability in Syria … to check whether German citizens are actually affected.”

Maas said authorities would have to “check to what extent they were involved in fighting for IS, which would result in criminal proceedings having to be opened against them.”

“These people can come to Germany only if … they can immediately be taken into custody,” he said.

French jihadis made up the largest contingent of European recruits. French officials are concerned because in 2015 and 2016, an Islamic State cell of French and Belgian fighters crossed from Syria into Turkey, eventually launching deadly attacks on Paris and Brussels.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the issue is “one of the greatest challenges ahead of us for the upcoming months.”

“Our major endeavor now should be not to allow them to come back to Europe,” said Szijjarto.