Theresa May to tackle extremism in Britain with new laws but warns it will take decades to eradicate
The Home Secretary Theresa May has announced plans to tackle home-grown extremism following the murder of the US journalist James Foley by a suspected British Jihadist.
New measures dubbed “anti-social behaviour orders” for extremists will seek to curtail extremist behaviour and language and make it illegal to join extremist groups not directly involved in terrorism, in a bid to defeat “extremist ideology that sanctions and encourages terrorist activity,” said May.
Writing in The Telegraph she said “I am looking again at the case for new banning orders for extremist groups that fall short of the legal threshold for terrorist proscription, as well as for new civil powers to target extremists who seek to radicalise others."
Further measures would include those with dual nationality who chose to travel to these countries being stripped of British citizenship and banned from entering the country.
“Following the recent Immigration Act, I can, in certain circumstances, remove citizenship from naturalised Britons who are fighting overseas and exclude them too,” said May.
At least 500 British citizens have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight with terrorist organisations May revealed. 23 people have had their passports removed under the toughening of existing powers to prevent travel to Syria and Iraq, she added.
Any British citizen who returns from Syria and Iraq faces prosecution for participation in terrorist activities abroad, but May said the government intends to strengthen the Serious Crime Bill to make travel overseas to prepare and train for terrorism a criminal offence.
May warned Britain faced a decades-long struggle against extremism and needed the necessary legal powers to tackle it.
“We are in the middle of a generational struggle against a deadly extremist ideology. That ideology is based on a warped and nihilistic interpretation of Islam and it is far removed from the peaceful beliefs held by one billion Muslims worldwide. We will be engaged in this struggle for many years, probably decades. We must give ourselves all the legal powers we need to prevail.”
The government said it was working with Ofcom to toughen regulation that would prevent extremist broadcasts and the Charity Commission to toughen charity rules. Other organisations such as schools and councils would also be required by law to take steps to tackle extremism.