The Montreal would-be jihadi 10, and what comes next

The confiscation of passports from a group of alleged Canadian would-be jihadis solves one problem – and immediately creates another one that is much more challenging.

Last weekend, acting on a tip from anxious family members, the RCMP arrested 10 young people at Montreal's Trudeau Airport who were suspected of trying to join the forces of the Islamic State. And then, deprived only of their passports and their ability to leave the country, they were released.

So now what? It is difficult to avoid hearing echoes of the case of Martin Couture-Rouleau. A troubled man from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., with apparent dreams of jihad, he had his passport seized last July just before an intended flight to the Middle East. Police kept him under watch, even meeting with him just 11 days before he ran down two soldiers, killing one.

Mr. Couture-Rouleau was kept off a plane because of the risk he posed, but he remained at liberty. The seizure of a passport from someone intent on joining a terrorist group should be the beginning of a process aimed at lessening the threat to Canadians. In his case, it wasn't.

Incarceration isn't an option without clear evidence of criminal intent. The seizure of passports is a first step in isolating potential jihadis and limiting their ability to act on their beliefs, but it can't be the last step. In some cases, the RCMP has sought peace bonds against suspects, requiring them to wear a monitoring device and limiting their social-media activity.

Yet we know from Mr. Couture-Rouleau that surveillance is no guarantee of public safety. With the 10 youths in Montreal, and others like them, the catch-and-release approach of passport confiscation is little more than a placebo – it draws attention and buys time until we come up with a better solution.

Teenagers in rebellion, many of whom are as likely to be idealists, however misguided, as aspiring holy warriors, would benefit far more from intelligent dialogue, education and a chance to change their minds. A sincere attempt at reprogramming is required – through conversations that counter the allure of ISIS with both persuasive arguments and an empathetic understanding of what it is that can drive young students to such a state. Removing a passport may be necessary. By itself, it's insufficient.