British fighter 'trapped' by new counter-terrorism laws

Where east meets west is where some British citizens have found a 'no man's land'.

Stuck in Istanbul are British fighters who say they went to Syria to fight the Assad regime and should be allowed to go home. We are introduced to one who says he could never return.

I am no threat to national security" he defiantly tells me, but he fears that new counter terrorism laws, and the threat of having his passport confiscated, will force him to stay put.

He says that the proposed laws, intended to make Britain safer, are likely to do the opposite.

The fighter spent part of this week holding talks with CAGE, the campaign group which is seeking to advocate for British militants who want the right to return. For their activists, this is a human rights issue as much as a counter terrorism concern.

Through a network of contacts, their campaigners have come to Turkey to interview fighters who have been to Syria. Some went to great lengths to escape - others are eager to go back to continue their fight. But what they share is a wish to have the right to return home, even if they do not use it.

What to do with returning jihadists is a question that dominates British counter-terrorism. But this is a question for all western countries, not just Britain.

The proposed measures would make the UK's laws among the toughest in the western world. Other countries, such as Denmark, have taken an approach far closer to the one advocated by CAGE. It's too early to tell which has been more successful.

Few politicians would risk not sounding tough on counter-terrorism.

But the warning issued by the British fighter we met suggests that approach has other risks attached.