‘British IS children at risk of radicalisation’, says former MI6 counter-terrorism chief

An estimated 60 more young Britons previously living under IS rule with their parents are still in the Al-Hol camp
DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images

The repatriation of British children brought up under Islamic State rule in Syria must be sped up to prevent them becoming radicalised, a former MI6 head of counter-terrorism said today.

Richard Barrett said that some potential child returnees would have to be accompanied by their mothers and that both could pose a potential security threat because of the extremism and trauma they had experienced.

But he added that the problem would only get worse if it was ignored and would leave Britain and other countries facing a heightened threat when the youngsters grow up and move on.

Mr Barrett’s comments follow the arrival last week of the first British orphans from Syria after a government decision to permit their return.

The Kurdish-run al-Hol camp for the displaced where families of Islamic State foreign fighters are held in northeastern Syria
AFP via Getty Images

An estimated 60 more young Britons previously living under IS rule with their parents are still in the Al-Hol camp in Syria with little sign so far that they will return.

Aid agencies including Save the Children have already called on ministers to organise their immediate return on humanitarian grounds.

Mr Barrett today insisted that there are also strong security reasons for speeding up repatriation, highlighting a report warning about IS control of the camp.

The Washington Institute report describes the situation in the camp as a “burgeoning security disaster” which risks breeding a “new generation of jihadists” as vulnerable children are groomed into extremism by mothers still loyal to IS.

Mr Barrett said this showed the “urgency” of the situation and, in an article today for the Standard, urged ministers to respond before it is too late.

“The problem will not go away through neglect,” he said. “In fact, it is likely to get worse. The area where they are held is largely controlled by extremely radical female IS loyalists who ensure the indoctrination of children and the intimidation of their mothers.

“The foreigners will pose an increasing threat the longer they are allowed to fester there.”

Mr Barrett said the poor conditions in the camp were also giving IS a propaganda weapon and that although there were obstacles to repatriation, these must be overcome.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in