Conclusion

The criminal investigations suggest that many irregular Muslim migrants within the jihadi networks aim at financial and material gain and for who a holy war is of insignificant importance. Their status, type of labour and limited – or even absent – signs of ideological involvement show that their behaviour is hardly characterised by the Jihadi-Salafi ideology. These findings suggest that the attractiveness of a jihadi movement for vulnerable migrants is not necessarily determined by ideology. We rather observe a combination of utility and a need for meaning and security, taking into account that their modus operandi are predominantly based on pragmatic considerations.