UK fighters returning from Syria face up to 10 years in jail
- New anti-terrorism legislation toughens previous rules that required authorities to prove returning nationals had engaged in terrorist activities
British nationals spending time in Syria face arrest and up to 10 years in jail on their return home in new anti-terrorism legislation passed by parliament.
Intelligence services estimate there are hundreds of British fighters still in Syria, with the territorial demise of Islamic State bringing their fate into sharp focus.
The new British law, which received royal assent on Tuesday, toughens previous legislation that required authorities to prove returning nationals had engaged in terrorist activities while abroad.
Interior minister Sajid Javid will now have the power to declare any zone outside Britain a “designated area” in order to “protect members of the public from a risk of terrorism”.
Just visiting such zones will now constitute a crime, with exceptions for those with a “reasonable excuse for entering, or remaining in, the designated area.”
They include people providing humanitarian aid, armed forces, UN staff, journalists and those attending funerals or visiting ill relatives.