Overview
- After a three-year inquiry, the Independent Commission on UK Counterterrorism concluded that leaving UK‑linked detainees in north‑east Syrian camps is unsustainable and inconsistent with international commitments.
- It recommends facilitating voluntary repatriation for British nationals, including those stripped of citizenship, with a government special envoy overseeing the process.
- Returnees should be informed they may face prosecution and managed through measures such as travel restrictions, investigations and deradicalisation programmes.
- The review estimates 50–70 UK‑linked people remain in Al Hol and Al Roj, mostly women and an estimated 12–30 children, in conditions described as inhuman and degrading.
- The report also calls for a radical overhaul of the Prevent programme, while political reaction has been sharp, with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp condemning the advice as outrageous.