I find it hard to be too scared of this sort of claim - I don't think ISIS spokesmen are really reliable.
Oh by all means don't be scared, Europe sports some pretty powerful security bureaus and thousands of operatives does not an operation make. That comes later.
I think that this sort of statement is just them trying to fuel xenophobia in Europe. If refugees are treated badly, or Europeans become paranoid and there's an increase in anti-islamic prejudice, then it'll drive otherwise moderate muslims towards the extremists' position. Besides, a lot of the refugees will be ISIS' enemies fleeing them, and it'd very much be in their interests if we sent them back to Syria to be murdered.
And by coincidence this fits in with progressive narratives perfectly that the way to defeat ISIS is with tolerance and hugs. Security checks exist for a reason. Well, if you're in the Schengen area they existed, past tense. NOW IT'S ALL OVER FOR YOU BELGIUM
It doesn't seem like it'd make much sense for them to try to infiltrate significant numbers of militants in as refugees. After all, there are thousands of Europeans fighting for ISIS in Syria right now, and probably thousands more who are stuck at home because they can't get out there. We hear stuff all the time in the news about British nutjobs in Syria. If ISIS want militants in Europe, they could just tell some of their supporters over here to stay at home.
If you look at Libya for example, Bagdhadi told his Libyan supporters to focus on their homefront instead of the Syrian and Iraqi front. In the European case it makes perfect sense since if you've been following our British Jihadis, they've been making it absolutely clear they want to use the skills they've learned in Iraq and Syria in Britain. The ones stuck in Europe are quite worthless beyond sending money and spreading the word, because when it comes to actually planning and executing an attack and that's if they're even willing to - it's one thing to pay lip service to killing the West and it's another thing to try and kill the West. Not all of their European supporters are European fighters.
Fighters who have made their way to ISIS will have proven themselves on the battlefield, will have received training and will be able to in turn train others, will have their convictions validated by blood and need only return to their home countries to spread their influence [with the catch being getting past their home country's security checks]. From India to Britain Jihadis have been caught coming home with cash and knowledge because they were sent home by ISIS. The difference between the ones coming home and the ones staying at home is that the ones coming home actually got shit done and have higher capabilities to get shit done.
And in nations where people don't like getting beheaded, security checks exist. You'll have an easier time getting through if you say you're a Syrian refugee. With their guidance, the useless supporters stop being so useless.
Up to 1,300 European jihadists have already returned to the continent after fighting under the banner of ISIS according to 'cautious' estimates made by anti-extremism thinktank, the Tony Blair Faith Foundation.The foundation, founded by former UK prime minister Tony Blair, also believe that these returning fighters intend to wage jihad in Europe
"Returning foreign fighters are a potent force and a significant threat," Ed Husain, a senior advisor at the Foundation told Newsweek.
"As they meet other young Muslims in mosques or community centres they can portray themselves as returning heroes from the trenches of jihad in Iraq and Syria. These people have walked the walk, not just talked about it in abstract terms," Husain added.
They should splice ISIS with butter to make self-spreading toast. Better get extra tolerant for the cultural enrichment train choo choo
All in all I look forward to the day when Belgium has ISIS territories, they're already getting massacre threats just for prosecuting cheeki Islamist clerics
It would certainly make Belgium less boring, and it wouldn't be right for massive global change without Belgium (WWI and WWII, why not WWIII)