British police have launched a campaign urging Muslim mothers to inform the authorities if they fear their children may go to fight in Syria, although critics warned that families were often the last to know.
Counter-terrorism officials warned of the risks young people face by travelling to the conflict-ravaged country, from kidnapping and death to criminal prosecution in Britain if they became involved in terrorism.
They urged people to channel their desire to help with the humanitarian crisis by supporting reputable charities working in Syria, but to refrain from going there themselves.
However, critics questioned whether families would inform on their own children in the knowledge that they might go to jail, even if they knew what they were planning.
"All the evidence indicates that the families themselves are the last to know. They are also most unlikely to tell the police," said Keith Vaz, chairman of parliament's home affairs committee.
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Hundreds of Westerners have joined the groups fighting President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria over the past three years.
The new British campaign was prompted by a jump in Syria-related arrests, from 25 last year to 40 in the first three months of this year alone.
"We are increasingly concerned about the numbers of young people who have or are intending to travel to Syria to join the conflict," said Helen Ball, senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism at London's Metropolitan Police.
"We want to ensure that people, particularly women, who are concerned about their loved ones are given enough information about what they can do to prevent this from happening.
"This is not about criminalising people, it is about preventing tragedies," she said.
