The British Government has announced new plans to ensure hate preachers
will be kept out of Britain. From now on it will be for the radicals to prove they are not a threat to Britain. Currently, the Government has to prove they are a threat. This announcement is a little late. To be precise, eleven years too late, however, it should be great news. The trouble is that under European Human Rights Legislation, as incorporated into British law by the Human Rights Act 1998; these measures have little chance of being successful.
We do not have the power to deport people to countries that may torture them. Most extremists emanate from countries with lamentable human rights records. If extremists are able to make their way to Britain they can claim asylum and under existing law are entitled to do so. To put it correctly, under British law, it is not enough to prove these preachers and radicals mean us harm, if the countries from which they emanate mean them harm.
If extremists claim asylum then we will have to review their case. It takes time to review their case. Once decisions are reached, claimants can always appeal and the cost of this appeal will be met by you the UK taxpayer. Even if the claimants appeal is refused these extremists can still gain the right to remain in Britain. If the extremist brought their children and they manage to string the case out they could be allowed to remain even if their application is rejected as their children will be deemed to be settled in Britain. It is therefore judged as wrong to move them.
These changes will not substantially reduce the cost to the British taxpayer. For that, we would need the Government to properly reform the Human Rights Act to ensure the safety of law abiding Britons comes first.