How nations deal with Isil returnees

 Germany widened its definition of terrorism in 2015 and no longer goes easy on female Isil members, but has nonetheless struggled to prosecute the roughly 330 returnees.

 Belgium has three- to five-year minimum sentence for returnees from Isil areas. The government is fighting a court order to repatriate six children and two mothers.

 Holland places both suspects and convicts in a “supermax” prison, but a low conviction rate reflects the Eu-wide struggle to find evidence against Isil returnees that is permissible in court.

 USA last year repatriated a mother-of-two and has charged nine returnees with terrorism offences. Offers information to European governments and has called on more to take home and prosecute citizens.

 Canada’s liberal government has been criticised as a soft-touch after its prime minister, Justin Trudeau, appeared to refer to Isil recruits as “foreign travellers” last year.

 Tunisia has the highest per-capita rate of Isil fighters to deal with and is currently stalling on calls to repatriate 300 women and children who have been detained in the Middle East.

 France will reportedly repatriate and prosecute 130 of its citizens currently held by Kurdish forces in northern Syria. Officials have previously preferred local regimes to try French nationals.

 Russia has repatriated at least 130 women and children since 2017 and is generally more welcoming to the families of Isil fighters. Some 27 children repatriated from Iraq last month without their jailed mothers.

 Britain has prosecuted about 40 of an estimated 400 returnees, but the Counter-terrorism and Border Security Act, which received Royal Assent this week, creates a new offence for anyone who stays in terrorist-held territory.