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<p>As of June 2018, approximately 40 individuals have been convicted on their return
from Syria/Iraq, either because of offences committed overseas or for other activity
linked to their involvement in terrorism. The convictions are for a range of offences
and are not limited to offences covered by terrorism legislation. In some cases, the
individuals in question may not know they have been investigated and prosecuted (for
non-terrorist offences) because of their engagement in terrorism. I am therefore unable
to go into further details of specific offences or sentences received.</p><p>The safety
and security of our country, our people and our communities remains the Government’s
number one priority.Around 900 people of national security concern travelled from
the UK to engage in the conflict in Syria and Iraq. Of these, approximately 20% have
been killed while overseas, and around 40% have returned to the UK.The majority of
those who have returned did so in the earlier stages of the conflict, and were investigated
on their return. A significant proportion of these individuals are assessed as no
longer being of national security concern.</p><p>Everyone – male or female, of any
age – who returns from taking part in the conflict in Syria or Iraq must expect to
be investigated by the police to determine if they have committed criminal offences,
and to ensure that they do not pose a threat to our national security.</p>
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