Lord Blencathra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2015-11-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why 450 British extremists who have been, or are believed to have been, fighting in Syria have been permitted to re-enter the UK, and why only three of those individuals have been charged with terrorist offences.

Lord Bates

Approximately 800 British nationals have travelled to Syria to take part in the conflict since it began, and of those who are known to have travelled about half have returned.

It is a general convention of international law that a state should allow entry of its own citizens.

However, everyone who returns from taking part in the conflict in Syria or Iraq – which includes those who voluntarily decide to live in areas controlled by ISIL – must expect to be subject to review by the police to determine if they have committed criminal offences abroad, and to ensure that they do not pose a threat to our national security.

British citizens and residents who commit offences abroad can be prosecuted under a wide range of terrorism and criminal law offences including training for terrorism and murder.

Decisions on charging are taken independently on a case-by-case basis by the Crown Prosecution Service.