Dutch govt. bans traveling to ISIS territory without permission

Anyone who wants to travel to a terrorist-control area from the Netherlands can only do so with the Ministry of Security and Justice's express permission. Those who travel to such an area without permission, could face 2 years in prison, according to a proposal Minister Ard van der Steur is preparing.

According to the Telegraaf, the Minister hopes to prevent foreign rebel fighters in the Syrian war escaping justice when they return to the Netherlands. It is easier to prove that someone was, for example, in an ISIS area in Syria than it is to prove they committed crimes there. The Minister also wants to make it possible to keep returning rebel fighters in custody for longer, to give the judiciary more time to investigate what they were up to.

The measures also include that the judiciary is allowed to take DNA samples from everyone returning from a terrorist controlled area.

People with a legitimate reason to travel to such an area, for example aid givers, journalists and humanitarian organizations, can get permission from the Minsitry to do so.