Danish gov't hopes to revise laws to fight terrorism

The Danish government said on Friday it hopes to revise the country's anti-terrorism laws to toughen punishment on those joining terrorist groups and stop its citizens from travelling to areas abroad where such groups are in armed conflict.

The Justice Minister Soeren Pind has proposed to change the law to make it a punishable offence for Danes and foreigners living in Denmark to travel to such areas as Syria.

Those who travel to such areas without approval of the Danish authorities could face up to six years in prison, according the Danish newspaper The Copenhagen Post.

"With the new travel ban we are addressing one of the greatest threats towards our security at home, which is people who travel to conflicts, such as in Syria, and come home radicalised," Pind was quoted as saying.

"It will simply be illegal to set foot in certain areas," he said.

The Justice Ministry wants to increase the punishment limit for people who join terrorist groups or promote terrorism to ten years, and to 16 years in special situations.

Moreover, those who receive financial support from a terrorist organisation for the purpose of establishing or running an institution or company in Denmark will also face jail terms up to six years.

The proposal is yet to be approved at the parliament.

The government's decision came shortly after a report from Hague-based International Center for Counter-Terrorism revealed that Denmark had the highest return rate of foreign fighters in Europe, which is over 50 percent.

On Thursday, the Danish police arrested four people suspected of having enlisted the Islamic State (IS) in Syria. Endit