Chorqisloq, a village in a remote region in Tajikistan, is under strict observation of local police, security services and other agencies. 69 inhabitants have left for Syria in the past three years. Fear seems to reign among village residents and relatives of IS fighters are closely monitored by the security services. ''Nobody knows how they left, not even their own family members'' whispers a primary school teacher. Her colleague adds: "We can not talk about them".
According to a report from The Crisis Group in January 2015, between 2,000 and 4,000 Central Asians have joined Islamic State. An unknown number has been recruited during their stay as a labor migrant in Russia.
Why do people migrate to Russia en masse, how does the Islamic State recruit migrant workers in Russia and what role do the governments of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia play in the fight against radical Islam?
ONLINE
Central Asia and Islamic State: The Russian Connection - thediplomat.com, 8/03/2017
Waarom sommige Centraal-Aziatische migranten in Rusland IS-strijders worden - MO.be, 4/04/2017 (In Dutch)