Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide details of the de-radicalisation programmes used for British Jihadis returning from Iraq and Syria, including (1) how many have undergone such programmes, (2) who delivers those programmes, and (3) the content of those programmes.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
All those who return from engaging in the conflict in Syria and Iraq can expect to be subject to investigation to determine if they have committed criminal offences abroad or represent a threat to our national security. Decisions to prosecute are taken, independently of Government, by the Crown Prosecution Service. Assessments are also made of the appropriateness of other forms of intervention, including referral to mental health services or to the Channel programme, for example. For reasons of national security, we do not comment further on action taken with respect to returners from Syria.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her most recent estimate is of the number of UK citizens who have travelled to fight with Daesh in Syria and Iraq; and how many such persons have since returned to the UK.
Answered by John Hayes
Approximately 850 UK linked individuals of national security concern have travelled to engage with the Syrian conflict. We estimate that just under half of those have returned and approximately 15% are deceased.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the number of people aged under 18 who travelled to parts of Syria and Iraq controlled by IS/Daesh in each of the last two years.
Answered by John Hayes
We believe approximately 800 UK linked individuals of national security concern have travelled to take part in the Syrian conflict since it began. Of those who are known to have travelled, about half have returned. This number will include some individuals who were under 18 at the point of travel.
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how many people have been prosecuted for going abroad to assist Daesh.
Answered by Robert Buckland
As of the end January 2016, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had successfully prosecuted and convicted 38 individuals in 27 cases where the allegations were considered to be related to the conflict in Syria.
The CPS does not hold central records for the number of people prosecuted in relation to Daesh.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they treat UK citizens in Iraq and Syria who participate in ISIL actions and activities as enemy combatants or criminals, and whether in making such assessments they consider what the actions of those individuals were, in particular whether they are violent or of violent intent, and whether or not their violence is targeted at the UK or UK citizens.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
More than 750 Britons of national security concern have travelled to the region since the start of the conflict and we estimate that around half of those have returned. Those who have committed criminal offences (including financing terrorism, training for terrorism and murder) should expect to be prosecuted for their crimes on their return to the UK.
The British Government is carrying out air strikes to support Iraqi and Kurdish forces’ efforts against Daesh in Iraq. UK citizens who are part of Daesh in Iraq are in no different position to other Daesh members there. The current position in Syria is that the UK will only take military action if there is a critical British national interest at stake or there was the need to act to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. In relation to the airstrike against Reyaad Khan on 21 August, I refer the noble Lord to the oral statement of 7 September 2015 made by the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), which was repeated the same day in the House of Lords by The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Stowell of Beeston), (Official Report, column 1249).
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she last had discussions with the governments of (a) Turkey and (b) Cyprus on the prevention of vulnerable individuals travelling to fight for Daesh is Iraq and Syria.
Answered by John Hayes
Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings are published on the Cabinet Office website on a quarterly basis.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she last met representatives of (a) airlines, (b) travel companies, (c) ferry companies and (d) Eurostar and Eurotunnel to discuss the prevention of travel by individuals attempting to join Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings are published on the Cabinet Office website on a quarterly basis.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her most recent estimate is of the number of British nationals suspected to have left the UK to join Islamic extremist groups in other countries.
Answered by James Brokenshire
We have stated publicly that around 600 people from the UK who are of interest to the security services are thought to have travelled from the UK to the region of Syria and Iraq since the start of the conflict. Given our longstanding policy not to comment on intelligence matters, we are unable to comment further on travel by British nationals to join extremist groups abroad.
Asked by: Paul Flynn (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) British citizens, (b) British residents holding dual passports and (c) British residents holding foreign passports who left the UK in 2014 to fight for the (i) Israeli Defence Force in Gaza, (ii) Koma Komalên Kurdistan in Syria and Iraq and (iii) ISIS Islamic State in Syria and Iraq in 2014; and what his policy is in each such case.
Answered by James Brokenshire
We do not hold data on British nationals fighting with the Israeli Defence Force: many foreign nationals (including British nationals) serve in the IDF, and also hold dual (Israeli) nationality. We do not hold data on British nationals fighting with the Koma Komalên Kurdistan in Syria/Iraq.
We believe that more than 500 individuals from the UK have travelled to Syria since the start of the conflict. It is estimated half of these have returned. We judge that a significant minority of UK extremists currently fighting in Syria are affiliated with ISIL. British citizens fighting with proscribed terrorist organisations would clearly pose a threat to the UK should they return. Such individuals are among our primary counter-terrorism concerns.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travel to a particular place when we consider the risk to British nationals is unacceptably high. Anyone who does travel is putting themselves in considerable danger. The best way for the public to help is to donate to registered charities that have ongoing relief operations.
Those who become involved in fighting abroad can potentially be prosecuted under UK law on their return including under terrorism or other offences. Fighting in a foreign conflict is not automatically an offence but will depend on the nature of the conflict and the individual's own activities.
Any allegation of an offence will be a matter for investigation by the police. Whether an individual is arrested or prosecuted will always depend on the facts and circumstances of the case and is an operational decision for the police and Crown Prosecution Service. Safeguards are built in to our legislation and we rely on the police and Crown Prosecution Service to make sure that prosecutions are pursued in appropriate cases. Whether any specific act falls within the definition of terrorism and whether any individuals or groups have committed an offence will always depend on all facts and circumstances of the case. Prosecutions can only be sought where the Crown Prosecution Service is satisfied that there is sufficient evidence of any offence having been commissioned and that it is in the public interest to prosecute.