Terrorist will likely find it easier to attack European targets if the United Kingdom and European Union are unable to agree on future ties, the Soufan Group warned in a new report.
“The loss of time-sensitive protocols and data sharing initiatives will be a massive step backward in the modern collaborative approach against terrorism,” the report said.
Moreover, since the UK serves a great deal of warrants on behalf of the EU, Europe will experience a weakening of law enforcement and counterterrorism approaches that are already strained as a result of finite resources, the report added.
On the UK end, the nation would almost certainly find itself without seamless access to the information and capabilities necessary for crafting an optimal approach to fighting borderless terrorism and organized crime, the report explained.
With Brexit scheduled to take place in 2019, there is growing concern that the worst-case scenario — a no deal departure in which the UK separates from the EU before achieving a broad-based, comprehensive agreement — is becoming the most likely scenario, according to the report.