Key Issue Of Returning UK Jihadists Unresolved

The UK's police and security services will broadly welcome the package of new anti-terror measures announced by the Prime Minister.

But one of the key issues over what to do about returning jihadists from Iraq and Syria remains unresolved.

David Cameron has been keen to emphasise the British Government’s response to the emerging threat from the terror group Islamic State should be a considered one and not knee-jerk.

So in the House of Commons, we got news of a rather modest clutch of targeted measures which the Government believes will help the security services address some of the gaps in national security when it comes to British nationals fighting in Iraq and Syria.

Currently, airlines operating out of UK airports cannot be compelled to provide advanced passenger information to the authorities.

Some already pass on this information, but the Government will now introduce new legislation to force all airlines to divulge their passenger manifests to the authorities.

For police and security services, this will allow them to cross check names against terror watch lists and other databases.

Enhanced powers to seize suspects' passports is another measure the authorities have been requesting for some time.

Although there are powers under the royal prerogative to confiscate someone's passport, it is a fairly cumbersome process which cannot be applied in real time by police and border officials, who might be suspicious about a specific passenger at a port or airport.

The new powers will give police and border officials an instant ability to stop anyone they believe might be travelling abroad for terrorist purposes.

But with around 500 British nationals who have already travelled to Syria and Iraq, a significant concern remains about what to do on their return.

The Government is actively looking at introducing a targeted discretionary power to enable the UK to exclude British nationals from returning to the country if it is believed they pose a threat.

However, this is a difficult prospect, both ethically and legally - such a power would effectively render any UK citizen, excluded from returning here, stateless.

That law would undoubtedly be challenged in the courts - and getting the Liberal Democrats on board seems unlikely.

At this stage, it is difficult to see how the Government will be able to enact that final measure.