This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29024903

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Cameron's anti-terror plans 'rehash of old policies' Anti-terror plans: 'Difficulties' with Cameron's plans
(about 2 hours later)
A former terror suspect has criticised government anti-terrorism plans as "rehashing of old policies" which will "disenfranchise" UK Muslims. There are "significant difficulties" with preventing British-born terror suspects from re-entering the country, the reviewer of terror laws has said.
Cerie Bullivant was under a "control order" in 2006-07 and said such measures were harmful and ineffective. David Anderson QC said there were "legal difficulties" with the proposals announced by David Cameron on Monday.
But ex-minister Baroness Neville-Jones said plans unveiled by David Cameron on Monday would have a "deterrent effect". He said there were also "practical problems", saying the UK could end up in a "game of pass the parcel" with other countries' suspected terrorists.
The government wants to stop extremist Britons fighting in Iraq and Syria and bar those who do from returning home. The PM also announced plans to strengthen powers to monitor suspects.
On Monday, Mr Cameron announced plans for new powers to control terror suspects, including giving police statutory powers to confiscate their passports at UK borders. The government wants to stop Britons travelling to Iraq and Syria to fight and bar - if even temporarily - those who do from returning home.
The prime minister's plans include stricter controls under Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (Tpims), which replaced the more restrictive control orders in 2011. Mr Cameron said on Monday that UK nationals suspected of being involved in terror acts would be allowed to keep their British citizenship, but would be prevented from re-entering the UK for a period of time.
Under control orders, ministers could place a suspect under close supervision and force them to relocate within the UK. Tpims restrict movement, the use of computers and mobile phones, and meetings with others. 'Accept consequences'
Tpims are used in cases where officials decide a suspect can neither be charged nor deported. Mr Anderson, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, told the BBC's Today programme: "I was very struck yesterday by how tentatively the idea was advanced, and I can understand why - I think there are legal difficulties with it.
Mr Bullivant warned against a return to a system similar to control orders, which he said were designed to "debilitate your life". "The whole concept of citizenship is about the right of abode - the right to come back to where you live. If you're going to suspend that - even on a temporary basis - I think you run into some legal difficulties.
"It left me with severe depression and it pushed me into a corner where I felt my only option was to abscond and go on the run," he told BBC Newsnight, adding that he handed himself in after five weeks. "But it seems to me there are also practical problems that would have to be addressed on this.
"Where is the power to be exercised? Is it when the person is in Turkey, say on his way back from Syria? Is there some way of stopping him from coming back? And if so, where does the person go? Do they go back to Syria for a bit more jihad? Do they go and find a beach somewhere in Turkey?
"And, of course, if we start doing this then presumably we must accept the consequences that other people might do it as well.
"The trouble with this game of pass the parcel - whether it comes to terrorists or other criminals - is that if other people's terrorists or criminals find their way to Great Britain, they too could say 'Well we wash our hands of these people, we're not going to let them back - they're your problem'."
Mr Cameron also announced plans to give police statutory powers to confiscate suspected terrorists' passports at UK borders.
Under the prime minister's plans Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (Tpims) will be extended, to include the power to relocate suspects in the UK.
Tpims replaced more restrictive control orders in 2011. Control orders gave ministers the power to place a suspect under close supervision and force them to relocate.
Currently Tpims - used in cases where officials decide a suspect can neither be charged nor deported - restrict movement, the use of computers and mobile phones, and meetings with others.
'Severe depression'
Former terror suspect Cerie Bullivant warned against a return to a system similar to control orders, which he said were designed to "debilitate your life".
Mr Bullivant was placed under a control order in 2006-07 and said such measures were harmful and ineffective.
"It left me with severe depression and it pushed me into a corner where I felt my only option was to abscond and go on the run," he told the BBC's Newsnight, adding that he handed himself in after five weeks.
He said evading the authorities was "relatively easy" and claimed none of the people who had absconded while under control orders or Tpims had ever been caught.He said evading the authorities was "relatively easy" and claimed none of the people who had absconded while under control orders or Tpims had ever been caught.
Dangerous people must be charged in courts and put in prison, he added.Dangerous people must be charged in courts and put in prison, he added.
Mr Bullivant criticised government plans to bring back powers to relocate suspected terrorists. Mr Bullivant also criticised the government's plans to bring back powers to relocate suspected terrorists.
"While the Conservative government are telling Muslims that they need to embrace British values, they themselves are abandoning them with this internal exile," he said."While the Conservative government are telling Muslims that they need to embrace British values, they themselves are abandoning them with this internal exile," he said.
He called Mr Cameron's announcement "grandstanding, the rehashing of old policies, put out as new, so that the government can be seen to be tough on terrorism when in actual fact all it's going to do is create more of a ghettoisation and disenfranchisement within the Muslim community".He called Mr Cameron's announcement "grandstanding, the rehashing of old policies, put out as new, so that the government can be seen to be tough on terrorism when in actual fact all it's going to do is create more of a ghettoisation and disenfranchisement within the Muslim community".
'Fair and proportionate' 'Deterrent effect'
But Baroness Neville-Jones, a former security minister, said giving police powers to take people's passports at border points was a "really key and apt thing to do". But Lord Carlile, former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said on Newsnight that Mr Bullivant's comments were "misleading".
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, she also said interviewing people returning to the UK from war zones would act as a deterrent because people would know "their card will have been marked".
Lord Carlile, former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said on Newsnight that Mr Bullivant's comments were "misleading".
He said relocation orders worked "very well" and were "fair and proportionate".He said relocation orders worked "very well" and were "fair and proportionate".
Speaking about the possibility of stopping Britons returning to the UK from war zones, he said it was "unlawful under international law" to remove the passport of someone who had no other nationality - though it "may well be lawful" to take their passport once inside the UK.Speaking about the possibility of stopping Britons returning to the UK from war zones, he said it was "unlawful under international law" to remove the passport of someone who had no other nationality - though it "may well be lawful" to take their passport once inside the UK.
As a result he said there was no way to stop British jihadists returning, so the only options were to arrest them if there was enough evidence for a prosecution, or subject them to a "beefed up" Tpim if not. As a result he said there was no way to stop British fighters returning, so the only options were to arrest them if there was enough evidence for a prosecution, or subject them to a "beefed up" Tpim if not.
The proposed measures announced by Mr Cameron on Monday also included forcing airlines to hand over information about passengers travelling to and from conflict zones, and requiring terrorists to undergo de-radicalisation programmes. Mr Cameron has said 500 British nationals are estimated to have travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight on behalf of Islamic State and other militant groups.
The proposed measures announced by Mr Cameron also included forcing airlines to hand over information about passengers travelling to and from conflict zones, and requiring terrorists to undergo de-radicalisation programmes.
It comes after the UK's terror threat level was raised to "severe" from "substantial" on Friday.
Former security minister Baroness Neville-Jones said the government's plans would have a "deterrent effect".
She said giving police powers to take people's passports at border points was a "really key and apt thing to do".
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, she also said interviewing people returning to the UK from war zones would act as a deterrent because people would know "their card will have been marked".