Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2015-12-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government in the last four years, how many British Muslims have joined the armed forces, and how many they estimate have gone independently to fight in Syria and North Africa.

Earl Howe

All candidates joining the Armed Forces are subject to exactly the same vetting procedures applicable to their chosen branch or trade, irrespective of religion or ethnicity.

There is no requirement for personnel to declare their religion. However, the numbers of British personnel who joined the UK Regular Armed Forces and self-declared their religion as Muslim in the last four financial years is set out below. The Ministry of Defence is not aware of any British Muslim members of the UK Regular Armed Forces going Absent Without Official Leave to fight in Syria or North Africa in the last four years.

Intake to the UK Regular Forces of personnel with a British Nationality declaring a Muslim religion, by Financial Year

Note: figures show intake to UK Regular Forces, both trained and untrained, which comprises new entrants, re-entrants, direct trained entrants (including professionally qualified Officers), intake to the Army from the Gurkhas and intake from the reserves. They exclude all movements within the Regular Forces; including flows from untrained to trained strength, transfers between Services and flows from Ranks to Officer due to promotion. All numbers are rounded.