Written question asked by Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party) on Wednesday, 26 April 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 2 May 2023. It was answered by David Rutley (Conservative) on Tuesday, 9 May 2023 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Iraq and Syria: Prisoners

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the number of prisoners in Iraq and Syria who are likely to join Islamic State.

Answer: Daesh's ability to direct, enable and inspire attacks continues to represent the most significant global terrorist threat, including to the UK, our people and our interests overseas. The threat emanating from camps and detention centres in north east Syria is particularly acute. We continue to work with our international partners, notably through the Global Coalition Against Daesh, to tackle the insurgencies in Iraq and Syria, prevent Daesh's resurgence and further degrade its network. We continue to monitor developments in the region very closely.

Secondary information