Officials Turn Attention to Alarming Rise in Western ISIS Recruits

As ISIS takes over more and more of eastern Syria and western Iraq, the group’s recruitment is picking up even more pace, with the group eagerly courting people the world over to join their jihad.

That’s been a worry for western officials for some time, but its growing all the more lately, as the British Home Office says tracking British jihadists in ISIS is the top priority for MI5.

ISIS is believed to have around 500 British members, and thousands of members with EU passports, meaning they have access to western nations in a way that most jihadist factions simply don’t.

The NYPD is also in on this, with one of their officials, John Miller, saying the department is “hyper-concerned” about New Yorkers who have gone off to join ISIS.

The group’s overseas recruitment has gone up as they gained influence in Syria, and it is expected that the takeover of Iraq will dramatically increase their effectiveness.