The Public Safety Minister of Canada, Ralph Goodale has said that the Canadian federal government has contained the return of foreign fighters to Canada.
In a report on the terrorism threat to Canada, Public Safety Canada said that measures such as travel interdictions and the threat of prosecution in Canada have dissuaded a number of Canadian “extremist travellers” from trying to come back to the country.
The report added that there are about 190 Canadians involved in “extremist” activities around the world, including in places such as Syria and Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan and North and East Africa.
There have been strong concerns in recent years about the threat of terrorism posed by supporters of the Islamic State in Canada, including those who were returning to the country after fighting alongside other jihadis.
“From the Canadian perspective, there has been no surge, no significant change in the numbers,” Mr. Goodale told reporters on Tuesday. “That is an encouraging indicator in terms of the safety and security of Canadians, but we take nothing for granted.”
