Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of the number of UK residents who have returned to the UK in the last 12 months after fighting with Daesh overseas.
Answered by Ben Wallace
Around 900 people of national security concern travelled from the UK to engage in the conflict in Syria and Iraq. Of these, approximately 20% have been killed while overseas, and around 40% have returned to the UK.
The majority of those who have returned, did so in the earlier stages of the conflict, and were investigated on their return. A significant proportion of these individuals are assessed as no longer being of national security concern.
Only a very small number of travellers have returned in the last 12 months.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps are being taken to ensure that captured British suspected Islamic State fighters in north-east Syria are held securely for the rest of their lives; and what plans he has in relation to those fighters in the event of a Turkish invasion.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The British Government is committed to making sure that individuals who have joined Daesh and committed these crimes face justice. Where there is evidence that crimes have been committed, foreign fighters should be brought to justice in accordance with due legal process, regardless of their nationality. The appropriate process will depend on the individual circumstances.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that the activities of people married ISIS fighters and returned to the UK are monitored; and that the (a) contacts and (b) movements of those people are regulated.
Answered by Ben Wallace
Everyone who returns from engaging in the conflict in Syria or Iraq, whether male or female, must expect to be investigated by the police to determine if they have committed criminal offences, and to ensure that they do not pose a threat to our national security. Where there is evidence that crimes have been committed, those responsible should expect to be prosecuted. However any decision on whether to prosecute will be taken by the police and Crown Prosecution Service on a case by case basis. In addition to seeking prosecution of terrorism suspects, we use a range of tools to manage the threat posed by returners - including imposing travel restrictions for individuals subject to Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures and using Temporary Exclusion Orders to place in-country conditions upon return, including regular reporting to a police station. The majority of those who have returned did so in the earlier stages of the conflict, and were investigated on their return. A significant proportion of these individuals are assessed as no longer being of national security concern.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to prosecute British citizens who have travelled to the Middle East to take part in military operations of the Islamic State; and whether they will do so in cases where those citizens are regarded as posing little or no national security concern.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Where there is evidence that crimes have been committed, British citizens and residents who take part in military operations abroad should expect to be prosecuted under the full range of existing counter terrorism legislation. Decisions on charging are taken independently on a case-by-case basis by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British citizens who travelled to the Middle East to join the armed forces of the Islamic State are known to have returned to the UK; and how many of those are currently held in custody in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Approximately 400 UK-linked individuals of security concern have returned from the conflict in Syria. While it would not be appropriate to provide a breakdown of the investigation status of returners, a significant proportion of the individuals who have already returned have been assessed as posing little or no national security concern.
The Home Office Statistical Bulletin publishes data about convictions quarterly but does not distinguish those which relate to Syria and Daesh. People who are investigated and charged with offences relating to the conflict in Syria and Iraq are prosecuted in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
Although official figures do not show how many were Syria or Daesh related, of the 97 persons charged with a terrorism-related offence in the year ending September 2017, 30 had been prosecuted (as at the time of data provision to the Home Office, 6 November 2017), 30 of which were found guilty. A further 65 were awaiting prosecution.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will publish statistics on arrests relating to foreign terrorist fighters in Iraq and Syria and support for Daesh.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The Home Office Statistical Bulletin publishes data about convictions quarterly but does not distinguish those which relate to Syria and Iraq and Daesh. British Citizens who are investigated and charged with offences relating to the conflict in Syria and Iraq will be prosecuted in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
Although official figures do not show how many were Syria or Iraq or Daesh related, of the 97 persons charged with a terrorism-related offence in the year ending September 2017, 30 had been prosecuted (as at the time of data provision to the Home Office, 06 November 2017), 30 of which were found guilty. A further 65 were awaiting prosecution.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many individuals who went from Britain to Syria to join ISIS are known to have returned to date; and how many of these were (1) detained on arrival at the UK border, (2) allowed to return to the UK without any restriction on their movements, (3) are currently detained awaiting trial, (4) are on bail, and (5) are serving custodial sentences.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
As confirmed in UIN 116493, approximately 400 UK-linked individuals of security concern have returned from the conflict in Syria. Due to operational sensitivity, we cannot provide a breakdown of how each case is being managed.
The Home Office Statistical Bulletin publishes data about convictions quarterly but does not distinguish those which relate to Syria and Daesh. British Citizens who are investigated and charged with offences relating to the conflict in Syria and Iraq will be prosecuted in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
Although official figures do not show how many were Syria or Daesh related, of the 97 persons charged with a terrorism-related offence in the year ending September 2017, 30 had been prosecuted (as at the time of data provision to the Home Office, 6 November 2017), 30 of which were found guilty. A further 65 were awaiting prosecution.
Asked by: Trudy Harrison (Conservative - Copeland)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has made an estimate of the number of Daesh fighters and supporters who have returned to the UK from both Iraq and Syria since January 2017.
Answered by Ben Wallace
Approximately 850 UK linked individuals of national security concern have travelled to engage with the Syrian conflict. We estimate that just under half have returned and approximately 15% are now dead. This number includes all those of national security concern, not just those affiliated with Daesh. Everyone who returns from taking part in the conflict in Syria or Iraq must expect to be investigated by the police to determine if they have committed criminal offences, and to ensure that they do not pose a threat to our national security. Due to national security we cannot provide a further breakdown of the figures.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures are in place to determine whether British-born ISIS combatants have surrendered following the fall of Mosul and Raqqa.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The surrender of Daesh fighters in Iraq and Syria - no matter what their nationality - is a matter for local Iraqi Forces or Syrian Democratic Forces operating on the ground. If a British national is detained in Iraq, we would expect to be notified by the Iraqi authorities. The UK has no diplomatic representation in Syria and all consular services are suspended. As a result, we are unable to confirm the status of British nationals in Syria.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures are in place to determine whether any British-born ISIS combatants have surrendered as a result of the fall of Mosul and Raqqa.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The surrender of Daesh fighters in Iraq and Syria - no matter what their nationality - is a matter for local Iraqi Forces or Syrian Democratic Forces operating on the ground. If a British national is detained in Iraq, we would expect to be notified by the Iraqi authorities. The UK has no diplomatic representation in Syria and all consular services are suspended. As a result, we are unable to confirm the status of British nationals in Syria.