Caring for the ‘enemy’? Enacting the duty of care for Norwegians fighting for the Islamic State, Jabhat Al Nusra, and the Harakat Al Shabaab

This chapter explores Norway’s Duty of Care (DoC) toward citizens that joined organizations that have dedicated themselves to attacking/inciting attacks in Europe, often referred to as ‘foreign fighters’. It considers the implementation of the DoC: the generally reactive nature of DoC provision in Norway vis-a-vis these specific individuals; the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs limited capacity in civil war zones; and scarce resources within the families and networks of the foreign fighters. The activities of the special envoys were largely triggered by friends, schools in Norway, and caring families; again, one needed support and a network to access DoC. In many ways, the provision of DoC to Norwegian citizens who regret going to Syria should be a part of Norwegian de-radicalization efforts. Moreover, expectations from families of travellers might be too great at times, as there are other factors that hamper the provision of DoC to returnees.