LONDON: British Immigration Minister James Brokenshire said yesterday the country faces a major security concern from people who fought in Syria and have since returned to Britain.
The minister told the BBC that Britain’s security services were “vigilant” about those travelling between Britain and Syria, adding the issue was a “big problem”.
The comments came after the Sunday Times reported that security services were “closely monitoring” 250 British-based jihadis who trained and fought in Syria and have since returned home.
The paper cited senior security officials as saying that the high number of so-called returnees highlighted the serious danger posed by “extremist tourists” in Syria.
“I think the security concern linked to Syria is likely to be with us for the forseeable future,” Brokenshire said yesterday.
“This is a big problem that the security services and the police are actively faced on.It is why they are vigilant, why they are taking the steps that they are around the border on monitoring travel to and from Syria, in the way that they are, rightly, in guarding our national security....”
AFP
