David Cameron is understood to be considering temporary bans on British jihadists fighting in Iraq and Syria from returning to the UK, as part of strong new anti-terrorist measures expected to be announced to MPs on Monday.



The BBC reports that UK nationals suspected of being involved in terrorist acts would be allowed to keep their passports but would be denied re-entrance to the UK for a period of time under the new rules.

In addition, the new measures are expected to make it easier for authorities to seize the passports of suspected terrorists from travelling abroad.

The news comes as Mr Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg have been briefed by security officials on the serious nature of the threat of terrorism to the UK, which was raised on Friday from “substantial” to “severe” - meaning the possibility of an attack in the UK has become "highly likely".

A Government source told the BBC: “The Government is considering a range of measures to keep the country safe in the face of an increased threat level from Islamist extremism.

“The areas include making it harder to remove their passports through additional temporary seizure powers at the border.

“We are also looking at stopping British citizens from re-entering the country if they are suspected of terrorist activity abroad.

“Previously, our range of powers to prevent return to the UK applied only to foreign nationals, dual nationals or naturalised citizens.”

The new terrorism prevention and investigation measures (TPims), which will be outlined on the day MPs return to Parliament, will be seen as similar to the previous Labour government’s “control orders” that restricted the movement of terrorist suspects through tagging, curfews, and relocation to other towns and cities.

While a No 10 source told the Independent on Sunday that there would be “no return to control orders” because they had been struck out by the courts in 2012, the toughening up of TPims are expected to be similar in limiting the movement of terror suspects.

The Independent