PARIS
The number of Europeans who left to fight in Syria is estimated to range between 5,000 and 6,000, among them 1,450 from France, according to the European Commissioner for Justice Vera Jourova.
In an interview to French daily Le Figaro on Monday, Jourova revealed the European Union's first estimations of Europeans who left for Syria since the beginning of the conflict five years ago.
She added that there were fears that the numbers were "significantly undervalued."
The European Commissioner said most Europeans who desired to join or have already joined the ranks of militant groups in Syria "do not have religious motives, but (go) mainly because of boredom and in the search for adventure."
According to Jourova, Brussels is taking steps to prevent certain Europeans from traveling to conflict-riddled regions.
Jourova said the EU was also focusing on speeding up the exchange of judicial information between member states and other countries such as Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt , adding, this would require more intelligence sharing.
Thousands of foreign fighters from all over the world are believed to have joined organizations such Daesh, in Syria and in Iraq, which has entered its fifth year.
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