Hundreds of ISIS terrorists are free to walk the streets of UK
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Hundreds of Islamic State terrorists are reportedly at large in the UK due to a failure to prosecute them.
It's believed that around 425 "fighters" have returned to Britain after committing appalling atrocities in Syria and Iraq, yet an inquiry has highlighted that none have been successfully prosecuted.
MPs and Lords are now demanding new laws to enable these individuals to face justice.
They're urging the Government to modify the Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament, to facilitate prosecutions.
Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Lord David Alton, has expressed concerns: "This is not something the UK can simply wash its hands of because it happened overseas."
Islamic State, also termed Daesh, stands accused of heinous crimes such as murder and rape.
Around 5,000 Yazidis have been killed, with over 200,000 forced from their homes.
Lord Alton voiced his stance clearly: "We know that British nationals committed the most horrendous crimes in Iraq and Syria under the Daesh regime and we have a duty to see them brought to justice.
"To date, no Daesh fighters have been successfully prosecuted for international crimes in the UK and we find this unacceptable."
The committee stated: "We want to see more action from the Government in identifying the perpetrators, some of whom may have returned to Britain, others likely detained in camps in Syria.
"This will require better coordination from law enforcement and criminal justice, and also the removal of barriers preventing some prosecutions."
It's believed that some individuals may have evaded justice due to a legal loophole that prevents British courts from prosecuting individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, or other war crimes committed abroad, unless they are UK nationals, residents, or subject to laws applicable to armed forces personnel.
Although there are no official statistics on the number of Islamic State terrorists in the UK, the Government estimates that 850 individuals left the country to join the extremist group in Syria and Iraq, with around half believed to have returned.
The Joint Committee warned: "The UK Government has formally recognised that the acts committed against the Yazidi people by Daesh were acts of genocide. However, despite this recognition, there have been no successful prosecutions of Daesh fighters in the UK for international crimes, including genocide.
"To remedy this concerning reality, we recommend several changes to policy and law to achieve greater accountability of Daesh fighters for their crimes."
The Government has been urged to intensify efforts to identify British citizens detained in Syrian camps, with the aim of repatriating and prosecuting them.
It's estimated that around 42,500 ISIS terrorists and their families are held in what are essentially large-scale prison camps, believed to include 20 British households, children included.
The inquiry also advocated for increased scrutiny over decisions to strip British citizenship from individuals perceived as public threats. The UK can enact this if it doesn't result in statelessness, typically in cases of dual citizenship.
The most notable instance is Shamima Begum, a UK-born woman who journeyed to Syria in February 2015 at age 15 and married a Daesh fighter. Her citizenship was revoked four years later.
However, numerous lesser-known cases exist, with at least 1,080 deprivation of citizenship orders issued between 2010 to 2023.
The Committee stated: "The Government must provide greater transparency as to the use of deprivation of citizenship powers, including by providing regularly updated data to the public."
A Government spokesperson responded: "The Government's priority remains maintaining the safety and security of the UK and we are committed to achieving accountability for all victims of Daesh's crimes. We will consider the findings of this report."
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