Brit who fought in Syria wants to come home to visit mum

A Briton who joined the fight in Syria a year ago has told ITV News he wants to be allowed to return home to visit his mum.

The man - who spoke on condition of anonymity - said he had no intention of returning to the UK permanently.

But he said he missed his friends and family and in particular, his mum. "I want to see my mum definitely."

Revealing how he gave up his £40,000-a-year job in the UK to help the Syrian people fight against the Assad regime, he said he did not consider himself a threat to national security.

"We just want to return back to our families, if we are allowed to return back.

"In my case, I would love to come back to visit my mum without feeling any fear of being prosecuted or harassed by the British government."

But he claims new British counter-terrorism laws will give him no choice but to return to Syria and fight.

And instead of making Britain safer, he said they would have the reverse effect.

"We feel we have been forced into exile. If you force people into a corner, you only radicalise them more.

"They (the government) are making an enemy that never existed."

Instead, he said Britain should be proud that he and others had gone to help the Syrian people.

"When the whole international community stood silently, we rose up to help these people.

"They should take pride in that, take pride in us being British, and British citizens travelling to a war zone to defend people who are oppressed.

"They should take us in, I'm not asking for any medal, but they should let us live our life normally."

Read more: 'Significant number' of Brits in Syria want to come home