Two men charged over Syria terror claims

Yusuf Sawar and Mohammed Ahmed, both 21, from Handsworth in Birmingham, were arrested at Heathrow on Monday after returning to the UK from Turkey.

The pair are suspected of travelling to Syria, via Turkey, on May 15th last year, in order to engage in acts of terrorism.

They have been charged under Section 5 of the Terrorsim Act 2006.

On Saturday morning, they appeared in court for a brief hearing. Both men were denied bail and remanded in custody.

They will next appear at the Old Bailey on January 31.

In a separate incident, West Midlands have finished questioning a 21-year-old man from the Sheldon area of Birmingham at Gatwick Airport. He was detained by counter-terrorism police after returning from Istanbul, on suspicion of attending a terrorist training camp in Syria.

The man was questioned at a police station in the West Midlands before being released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Is it illegal to travel to Syria?

It is not actually illegal to travel to Syria - so why are we starting to see more arrests of people returning?

What matters is what an individual does when he or she gets to Syria. Many Brits have gone to deliver aid convoys or to volunteer at refugee camps. But others have joined opposition forces who are fighting President Assad's regime. It's estimated that between 200 and 400 British Muslims have gone to join Al-Qaeda-linked opposition groups such as Jabhat Al-Nusra or the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS)

Although the British government has considered arming the rebels, any British individuals who fights with such groups could be prosecuted. The UK's anti-terror legislation allows individuals to be prosecuted here for terrorist offences that are committed abroad.

But proving that offences have been committed in a country like Syria, the most dangerous conflict zone in the world, can be extremely difficult.

There is evidence that the security services are tracking the movements of individuals. In the past week, five people have been arrested at airports, on flights to or from Istanbul. The main entry point into Syria is now across the Turkish border.

Passengers can be stopped at airports – or at any point or entry to / exit from the UK – under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000. They can be questioned, searched and held for a maximum of 9 hours.