UK turning to refuge for war criminals

Those suspects, many of them thought to have been living in Britain for years, are originally from countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Libya and Rwanda.

From among the suspects, Rwandan men may have been involved in the genocide that led to the deaths of an estimated 800,000 people, media reports said.

According to shocking new figures the Home Office researched nearly 800 cases in the 15 months from January 2012, where individuals were suspected of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Home Office, which has insisted it is determined the UK will not become a refuge for war criminals, identified the suspects last year, the BBC reported.

It made “adverse recommendations” against 99 people who had applied for British citizenship, asylum or leave to remain in the UK, the BBC reported, while a further 16 war crimes suspects had applied to enter the UK.

It follows earlier figures suggesting more than 700 suspected war criminals were identified by UK immigration officials between 2005 and 2012.

Michael McCann, chairman of a cross-party parliamentary group to prevent genocide, said the worrying figures revealed the need for greater government transparency on the issue.

“The organisation in the Home Office that used to deal with this – the UKBA (UK Border Agency) – was a basket case,” the Labour MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow said.

“It had failed on so many different levels I’ve lost count.

“I have deep concerns that the Home Office isn’t being as forthright as it could be and I think we should be drilling down into these cases in order to give the public of our country that security.”

MOL/HE

Source Article from http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/07/30/316400/war-crime/

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