UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) who left Syria have been found to be disadvantaged economically, lacking education or job opportunities before heading to the warfront, a UN study revealed Thursday.
"Most FTFs interviewed in this study are young, male and without an advanced education," the UN report said.
"Perhaps contrary to general perceptions, the report finds that many FTFs serving as foot soldiers lack opportunity, are disadvantaged economically, lack education and have poor labor prospects, even when they come from Western societies."
"Most FTFs in this sample come from large families in urban communities that are rather isolated from mainstream social, economic and political activity," it said. "Some of the families from which these particular FTFs come often show signs of internal dysfunction or stress," it added.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric announced the release of the UN Office of Counter Terrorism's "Enhancing the Understanding of the Foreign Terrorist Fighters Phenomenon in Syria", which focused on motivations of foreign terrorist fighters to travel to Syria and return to their countries of origin.
"The report is a product of direct interviews of 43 FTFs of 12 nationalities in seven countries," he said.
"The report recommends that in dealing with returnees it may be important to differentiate among the initial intention (of FTFs) before going to Syria, what they actually did there and the reason for return," Dujarric said. "Among those interviewed for the report it seemed that not all went to Syria to become fighters."
