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| Britons returning from Syria face arrest, says Sir Peter Fahy | Britons returning from Syria face arrest, says Sir Peter Fahy |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Britons returning to the UK from Syria will be stopped at the border and face arrest, a senior police chief has said. | Britons returning to the UK from Syria will be stopped at the border and face arrest, a senior police chief has said. |
| Sir Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, told the BBC there was "huge concern" Britons returning after fighting in Syria pose a threat to the UK. | Sir Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, told the BBC there was "huge concern" Britons returning after fighting in Syria pose a threat to the UK. |
| He said those stopped would be put in a "programme" and could be charged. | He said those stopped would be put in a "programme" and could be charged. |
| This month 16 people have been arrested on suspicion of terror offences after travelling between Syria and the UK. | This month 16 people have been arrested on suspicion of terror offences after travelling between Syria and the UK. |
| This compares with 24 in the whole of 2013. | This compares with 24 in the whole of 2013. |
| "They may well be charged and investigated, but they will be put into our programmes," said Sir Peter, who leads the Association of Chief Police Officer's "Prevent" strategy on counter-terrorism. | |
| He told BBC Radio 4's Today that these programmes saw police work with local agencies such as schools and youth organisations "essentially to make sure these people haven't been affected and try and make sure they're not a threat to this country", he said. | He told BBC Radio 4's Today that these programmes saw police work with local agencies such as schools and youth organisations "essentially to make sure these people haven't been affected and try and make sure they're not a threat to this country", he said. |
| He said the main concern was about the welfare of those going to Syria "who may be driven, because of the huge concern over there - some for humanitarian purposes - naively to go out there". | |
| But there was also "a real worry about those who may be radicalised, who may have been engaged in terrorist training", he added. | |
| Militants with suspected links to al-Qaeda have been heading to war-torn Syria from many other countries since fighting broke out in 2011. | Militants with suspected links to al-Qaeda have been heading to war-torn Syria from many other countries since fighting broke out in 2011. |
| Intelligence officials have estimated that the number of UK nationals among them may be in the low hundreds. | Intelligence officials have estimated that the number of UK nationals among them may be in the low hundreds. |
| The Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King's College London say most British jihadists are university-educated Muslims of British Pakistani origin in their 20s. | The Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King's College London say most British jihadists are university-educated Muslims of British Pakistani origin in their 20s. |
| 'Boys and girls' | 'Boys and girls' |
| Mohammad Ansar, a broadcaster and social commentator as well as theologian, said the prospect of their return was deeply worrying. | Mohammad Ansar, a broadcaster and social commentator as well as theologian, said the prospect of their return was deeply worrying. |
| "Once we have these frustrated, often angry and disenfranchised British Muslims going out to Syria to fight, the question is how are we going to reintroduce them to British society?" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. | "Once we have these frustrated, often angry and disenfranchised British Muslims going out to Syria to fight, the question is how are we going to reintroduce them to British society?" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. |
| "If they were to come back and if the way they were to express themselves is through violence and the gun then we've got absolutely no control over what they're going to do when they come back into our communities." | "If they were to come back and if the way they were to express themselves is through violence and the gun then we've got absolutely no control over what they're going to do when they come back into our communities." |
| The Metropolitan Police's head of counter terrorism, Commander Richard Walton, said last week it was "almost inevitable" that the young British fighters would turn their fire on the West. | The Metropolitan Police's head of counter terrorism, Commander Richard Walton, said last week it was "almost inevitable" that the young British fighters would turn their fire on the West. |
| Speaking to the Evening Standard he said he was surprised by the profile of those tempted by the prospect of joining the conflict. | Speaking to the Evening Standard he said he was surprised by the profile of those tempted by the prospect of joining the conflict. |
| "We've had a number of teenagers both from London and nationally who've been attempting to go to Syria," he told the newspaper. | "We've had a number of teenagers both from London and nationally who've been attempting to go to Syria," he told the newspaper. |
| "That's boys and girls unfortunately. It's not just the odd one. It's shocking that they are such young people." | "That's boys and girls unfortunately. It's not just the odd one. It's shocking that they are such young people." |
| In November, Andrew Parker, head of domestic intelligence service MI5, told a parliamentary hearing British Islamists interacting with militant groups in countries such as Syria was "very important strand of the threat" the UK faced. | In November, Andrew Parker, head of domestic intelligence service MI5, told a parliamentary hearing British Islamists interacting with militant groups in countries such as Syria was "very important strand of the threat" the UK faced. |