In April of this year, the
Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) ruled that to deport six Al-Qaeda
terror suspects to Algeria would violate their human rights on the ground that the
European Convention on Human Rights prohibits torture and “There is a real risk
that” they would be tortured upon their return to Algeria.
The men in question were reported
to be linked to plots in the U.K and abroad.
The government argued that
a) the men posed a threat to
Britain’s national security; and
b) the agreements with Algerian
President Bouteflika were sufficient guarantee that torture would not occur.
SIAC found these arguments
unconvincing, noting that Bouteflika is nearly 80 years old and suffered a
brain haemorrhage.
The government decided to give up
on the case after a 10 year battle to deport the men.
The decision in effect grants the
men the right to stay in the U.K.
In the meantime the men are
living under strict bail conditions and are being watched.
The Telegraph newspaper in London
estimates the cost of watching them to cost 10 million pounds per year, while
the legal battle to deport the men has cost the government 1 million pounds.
Meira Svirsky, UK
Home Office Gives Up Trying to Deport Six Al-Qaeda Suspects, Clarion project,
Tuesday May 10, 2017 (minor editing of format and sequencing of paragraphs)
Note: Decidedly,
Canada is not the only country to protect its own convicted terrorists who happen
to hold dual citizenship on the silly ground that “A Canadian is A Canadian is
a Canadian!”. The Liberal government’s Bill C-6 repealing the provision of the
Citizenship legislation that granted the Minister the power to revoke the
citizenship of Canadians holding dual citizenship who endanger national
security and terrorists passed the Senate on June 15, 2017.
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