UK toughens rules on exclusions
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, Oct 28, IRNA
UK-Exclusions
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith Tuesday announced new measures to prevent individuals who 'foster extremism or hate' entering the UK.
The tougher rules make it easier for the government to exclude those who want to come to the UK to stir up what was termed as 'religious or racial hatred'.
"Through these tough new measures I will stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country," Smith said.
"Coming to the UK is a privilege and I refuse to extend that privilege to individuals who abuse our standards and values to undermine our way of life," she argued.
Under the rules, the burden of proof is based upon banned individuals to prove that they renounced their previous extremist views or actions 'to demonstrate this is so and that this has been publicly communicated'.
But the announced was criticized by opposition parties as a publicity-stunt, given that the government implemented exclusions plans over three years ago.
"It is quite right to exclude anyone whose speech is likely to prove so inflammatory as to provoke violence or racial hatred, but these ideas add nothing since the government has already excluded 79 preachers of hate," said Lib Dem's shadow home secretary Chris Huhne.
By way of further publicity, Smith was also due to 'name and shame' a total of 230 people, which the UK has excluded since August 2005, including neo-Nazis and violent animal rights activists.
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