PARIS
Six French nationals suspected of trying to travel to fight in Syria have been barred from leaving France and had their passports and identity cards confiscated in the first such move of its kind in the republic, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has said.
Cazeneuve added on Monday that travel bans against 40 other people were also being considered under legislation which came into effect after France adopted a controversial law in November aimed at stopping French nationals from traveling abroad to fight in Syria, Iraq and other regions.
He told reporters in Paris: "The six are of young age, we have information that they were trying to join 'jihadists' in Syria.
"Forty bans from leaving the country are under consideration."
Cazeneuve said the nationals had been identified after some of their relatives phoned a special hotline set up by the Interior Ministry in April 2014, while others had been identified by the security services.
'Public security'
According to the law adopted by French parliament in November, the ban can be imposed on French nationals when "there are serious reasons to believe that someone is planning to travel abroad to take part in terrorist activities, war crimes or crimes against humanity or in with terrorist groups' operations and in conditions likely to jeopardize public security upon their return to French territory".
The ban, which is effective for at least six months and renewable for up to two years, allows authorities to immediately confiscate the passports and identity cards of suspects.
The suspects' names can be placed on the Schengen Information System used by European countries and private transport, and they also face the possibility of receiving up to three years in prison sentences and a $58,000 fine.
The bill also advocates targeting terrorism on the Internet with the possibility of blocking websites that "glorify terrorism".
According to French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, 80 French nationals and residents are believed to have been killed in conflict zones including Syria and Iraq.
