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Headteachers fear UK pupils will flee to Syria during Easter holiday

Thursday, 02 April 2015 5:58 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 02 April 2015 5:59 PM ]

Headteachers in London are scared that British pupils will use the Easter holiday break to flee their homes to join ISIL in Syria.

Nazir Afzal, who stepped down in his role as chief prosecutor this week, says that London headteachers have been made aware of dozens of boys and girls that may flee to Syria after being seduced by the violent ideology of ISIL.

Afzal is aware of at least two London headteachers who have approached him fearing their students may travel to Syria, but are worried that if they report their concerns to the police their pupils will face criminal charges.

Parents that suspect their children of planning to travel to Syria to join ISIL face a devastating dilemma. Many don’t want to turn to the authorities as they don’t trust the police, scared that their children may face punishment without having committed a crime. But they are also desperate to stop them.

Azfal says that headteachers are “told to direct parents to the police, but the parents don’t want the police to be told and the heads don’t want to criminalize their pupils…It can't just be a police responsibility because sadly many people in our communities don't trust the police.”

There have been several high profile cases of young British students travelling to Syria via Turkey without detection, including the case of the three London schoolgirls from Bethnal Green Academy. Mohammed Emwazi, also known as “Jihadi John,” is perhaps the most infamous case.

The news comes a day after Turkish authorities stopped nine British nationals as they attempted to enter Syria. The Metropolitan police have estimated that around 600 Brits have fled to Syria and Iraq, with approximately half already believed to have returned to Britain.

LM/SKL

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