Abstract

Indonesia is one of the few remaining countries whose nationals are held in ISIS detention camps in Syria that has not embarked on a formal repatriation process. The government publicly defends this stance on security grounds by citing threat assessments, verification challenges, and concerns over reintegration capacity. However, on the ground, the situation is more complex: Indonesian foreign terrorist fighters in Syria are not a uniform group; government responses have evolved through vetting missions, deportation mechanisms, and attempted humanitarian evacuations; and the shifting political landscape in Syria continues to influence policy options. Concurrently, ISIS has shown signs of regrouping over the past year, with its attacks in Syria increasing in both frequency and lethality, heightening the urgency of a well-developed repatriation policy. This presentation examines who these Indonesian FTFs really are, how the government has assessed and managed the risks they pose, and what has—and has not—been done to bring them home.

About the Speaker

Khoirul Anam is a doctoral candidate in Political Science at the Indonesia International Islamic University (IIIU), specialising in security governance, political decision-making, and international reputation. His research is grounded in long-term empirical engagement with counterterrorism policy processes in Indonesia. In parallel with his academic work, Mr Anam currently serves as a special staff member at Densus 88, the Indonesian National Police’s counterterrorism unit, focusing on media analysis, public literacy, and data-driven assessment.