France to unveil plan to stop youths joining jihadists in Syria

PanARMENIAN.Net - France will unveil a plan to stop the stream of French youths joining jihadist groups in Syria, with a new focus on preventing radicalization, the Associated Press reports.

President Francois Hollande said Tuesday, April 22, that France will take "all kinds of measures to dissuade, to stop, to punish those who would be tempted to go fighting in places where they have no place."

The plan will be presented at a cabinet meeting Wednesday. It's designed to identify people in the early stages of radicalization, through a strategy involving schools, parents and local Muslim leaders. It also includes tough measures to bolster intelligence and border surveillance, including restricting minors from leaving France.

French authorities estimate that around 500 French have left for Syria —including teens as young as 15.