Almost 400 British jihadis free to roam UK after return from fighting with ISIS in Syria as just one in ten prosecuted

14.06.2018

Just one in ten ISIS fanatics returning to the UK have been prosecuted. Photo: Illustration (Getty Images)

ALMOST 400 Brit jihadis who fought ISIS in Syria are now back in the UK - but just one in ten have been prosecuted.

Ministers have now been told to "urgently toughen our terror laws" after the explosive figures were revealed in Parliament.

There are currently around 400 Brits who have returned to the UK from the Middle East where they fled to fight for ISIS.

But just 40 of these have been prosecuted for "direct action they've carried out in Syria".

Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock, who had pressed for the figures, told the Commons: "So, only one tenth of people have been successfully prosecuted.
"That does not mean the others are innocent of terrorism charges, if they have been over to Iraq and Syria, if they have been aiding Daesh in whatever form and they are British citizens, they have been aiding enemies of the British state."

He urged the Government to adopt a similar system to Australia, who have made certain areas illegal to travel to.

The new Home Secretary Sajid David told the debate on counter-terrorism and security proposals he was "looking at just that".

But he added: "There's a bit more work to do on it, it's not as straightforward as it might sound."

There are fears the 400 ISIS fighters who have returned home could slip through the net - with little evidence to convict those who are caught.

Around 15 per cent of the 850 Brits believed to have travelled to Syria or Iraq have died.

Others have been captured - including two members of murderous ISIS group The Beatles.

But now the caliphate has been destroyed, security chiefs are worried the rest could return to the UK.

Last year, plans were said to be underway between the Home Office, police and local authorities on how to turn the estimated 360 ISIS fighters returning to the UK from Syria away from terrorism.

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