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Original poster

14 yr olds fly from Gatwick to Turkey to join ISIS

72 replies

3littlefrogs · 20/02/2015 20:44

How can this happen?
I can't find a link, but just heard on the news that 3 girls aged from 14 to 15 from Bethnal Green Academy managed to go to Gatwick, fly to turkey, and apparently on to Syria to join ISIS.

Surely someone checks at border control at some point?

OP posts:
Bowlersarm · 20/02/2015 20:49

15 and 16, but they wouldn't check people flying out would they? Just people flying into the country.

26Point2Miles · 20/02/2015 22:06

Check for what?

AmyLeeha · 20/02/2015 22:11

I wondered this too. At no point as they passed through the airport ie check in for a start, were flags raised that three minors were travelling alone to Turkey?!

Farahilda · 20/02/2015 22:16

Teens are allowed to fly unaccompanied, and a lot do so around half term.

If they were confident flyers, claiming they were making a 'home' visit during the holidays (and getting on to the flight before absence reported), then I guess it would be straightforward.

blueemerald · 20/02/2015 22:17

I read somewhere the youngest may have used a 17 year old's passport or ID to travel

26Point2Miles · 20/02/2015 22:20

Silly silly girls, they I'll get such a shock. Look what happened to that other woman who managed to escape and come back! They will be forced into marriage

Original poster
3littlefrogs · 20/02/2015 22:57

I was questioned at check in when taking my 15 yr old nephew on holiday to Lanzarote with the rest of my family. I had to produce a letter of permission from his parents.

Is it really the case that unaccompanied minors would be able to fly to Turkey with no questions asked? Particularly given the recent publicity. I am astonished.

Their poor parents must be distraught.

OP posts:
FirstOfficerDouglasRichardson · 20/02/2015 23:02

I think they're 15. It's okay to fly unaccompanied at 15, I did it from about 13-14 (boarding school). But ultimately why there isn't an alert of some sort that rings every kind of alarm bell going on youngsters travelling to Turkey unaccompanied is beyond me. And Turkey should also be doing something about this too.
Stupid, stupid girls.

850Pro · 20/02/2015 23:03

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TywysogesGymraeg · 20/02/2015 23:06

Pro????? How horrible.

26Point2Miles · 20/02/2015 23:07

Really? Hmm why would you hope they die?

Original poster
3littlefrogs · 20/02/2015 23:11

At 15 they probably think they know what they are doing. I seriously doubt they have any real idea. Sad

I wouldn't wish death on any 15 year old.

OP posts:
tethersend · 20/02/2015 23:12

This is horrible. Their school is round the corner from me.

Were they definitely unaccompanied?

VikingVolva · 20/02/2015 23:18

"Were they definitely unaccompanied?"

No reports to the contrary.

(of course in cases such as this, and especially when there is hope of getting them back before it's too late, it's possible that not everything will be reported immediately)

MetallicBeige · 20/02/2015 23:19

Pro They are daft, easily manipulated teenagers, their brains haven't even finished developing yet. I know I held some passionate beliefs and made some stupid decisions at that age, thankfully none as life changing as those girls and I can look back and cringe/laugh.

They haven't the foggiest what they are walking into, it certainly won't be what they have been 'sold' anyway. It's awful, what are the government actually doing about it? I bet their families are so scared for them.

26Point2Miles · 20/02/2015 23:29

Depends who has brainwashed them and with what nonsense

Whatso they actually think is going to happen? Apparently another girl from the school went out there last month.... Is it something going on in that school?

funnyossity · 20/02/2015 23:36

What can the government do?

VikingVolva · 20/02/2015 23:42

All the government can do for these girls (who, it seems, had reached Turkey before the alarm was raised) is talk to the Turkish authorities to try to intercept them before they travel on.

Otherwise for the longer term, imposition of new rules to restrict passage of unaccompanied minors leaving UK.

26Point2Miles · 20/02/2015 23:46

If theyvd already been radicalised or whatever it is that happens then should we even have them back?

Any of them

VikingVolva · 20/02/2015 23:49

If they've been gone only a couple of days, and haven't gone beyond Turkey, then yes they should be brought back. But if in Syria, then it's quite likely they will not be retrievable, and if they seek to return they will be detained on arrival back.

funnyossity · 20/02/2015 23:50

I always believed my kids needed a parent or authorisation from one to fly. Maybe not?

LiegeAndLief · 20/02/2015 23:58

You definitely do not need parental permission to fly as a teenager. I did it many times as a boarder. Like pp said, there will be loads of teens doing this around half term.

funnyossity · 21/02/2015 00:01

What age does that kick in? I was told I'd have trouble taking my kids out of the country on my own as I don't share their surname.

prh47bridge · 21/02/2015 00:08

According to the BBC the girls are 15 and 16 - no 14 year olds. One of the 15 year olds is believed to be travelling under the name of her 17 year old sister.

If they had been travelling with an adult they may have been asked for evidence that everyone with parental responsibility consented to them leaving the country. As there was no adult with them I am not surprised they were able to travel unchallenged. Indeed, even if an adult had been involved they may still have got through without challenge.

TheNewStatesman · 21/02/2015 01:58

I'm surprised that there isn't some sort of authorization required for minors to fly unaccompanied. I suspect that there might be, after this!