Pirates Can Claim UK Asylum

Pirates Can Claim UK Asylum

www.timesonline.co.uk

Pirates can claim UK asylumMarie Woolf, Whitehall Editor
THE Royal Navy, once the scourge of brigands on the high seas, has been told by the Foreign Office not to detain pirates because doing so may breach their human rights.

Warships patrolling pirate-infested waters, such as those off Somalia, have been warned that there is also a risk that captured pirates could claim asylum in Britain.

The Foreign Office has advised that pirates sent back to Somalia could have their human rights breached because, under Islamic law, they face beheading for murder or having a hand chopped off for theft.

In 2005 there were almost 40 attacks by pirates and 16 vessels were hijacked and held for ransom. Employing high-tech weaponry, they kill, steal and hold ships’ crews to ransom. This year alone pirates killed three people near the Philippines.

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Last week French commandos seized a Somali pirate gang that had held a luxury yacht with 22 French citizens on board. The hijackers were paid off by the boat’s owner and then a French helicopter carrier dispatched 50 commandos to seize the hijackers and the ransom money on dry land.

Britain is part of a coalition force that patrols piracy stricken areas and the guidance has troubled navy officers who believe they should have more freedom to intervene.

The guidance was sharply criticised by Julian Brazier MP, the Conservative shipping spokesman, who said: “These people commit horrendous offences. The solution is not to turn a blind eye but to turn them over to the local authorities. The convention on human rights quite rightly doesn’t cover the high seas. It’s a pathetic indictment of what our legal system has come to.”

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “There are issues about human rights and what might happen in these circumstances. The main thing is to ensure any incident is resolved peacefully.”

The guidance is the latest blow to the robust image of the navy. Last year 15 of its sailors were taken prisoner by the Iranians and publicly humiliated.

In the 19th century, British warships largely eradicated piracy when they policed the oceans. The death penalty for piracy on the high seas remained on the statute books until 1998. Modern piracy ranges from maritime mugging to stealing from merchant ships with the crew held at gunpoint.

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Asylum seems to be a strangely ironic, and accurate, description of the UK these days. Politically correct insanity is now officially a way of life over there, and the sane world can only marvel as the Brits continually raise the insanity bar to previously unheard of levels.

Is there really any point to them having a Navy? After the cowardly behavior of the sailors captured by the Iranians, and now this, I can only marvel at what that country has degenerated in to.

I shudder to think how they would have handled the recent incident with the Somalis had the captured individual been British.

www.timesonline.co.uk
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[edit on 13-4-2009 by Retseh]

The way I see it, when you decide to become a pirate, and hijack ships, kill people, and hold captains for ransom, you forfeit your life.

I don't normally agree with Islamic law, but beheading or losing a hand seems pretty fair for someone who goes out of their way to cause harm to innocent seafarers.

Britain is taking PC to another level. I hope the government over there can get some things in order.

Sounds to me like "take no prisoners".


Why not? They just told the navy they aren't allowed to send them to the judicial system. In hindsight, it would be far easier if they died in combat.

talk about PC gone mad - the UK removed the ability to hang pirates in 1998 - Lord Archer added an amendment to the crime and disorder bill 1998 - which removed the death penalty for treason and piracy

Originally posted by drwizardphd
The way I see it, when you decide to become a pirate, and hijack ships, kill people, and hold captains for ransom, you forfeit your life.

I don't normally agree with Islamic law, but beheading or losing a hand seems pretty fair for someone who goes out of their way to cause harm to innocent seafarers.

Britain is taking PC to another level. I hope the government over there can get some things in order.

Dude, the UK is pushing the EU and the rest of the NWO...they don't care. Soon, PC will be gone and you'll only have 'shoot first, ask later' mentalities, or just full on greed.

The UK should have never signed up the the human rights act in the first place.

We are so bogged down, due to the goody Brigade, soon we will not be allowed to breathe on anyone incase it infringes thier human rights. Ridiculous and pathetic.

a good friend of mine is a prison officer in the UK - not only has he said that the recent riot will only be the start of a summer like it


he also said that either swale or belmarsh will be the next to go up


but , prisoners are actually getting away with assaulting prison offiers thanks to the goody brigade

Originally posted by Harlequin
a good friend of mine is a prison officer in the UK - not only has he said that the recent riot will only be the start of a summer like it


he also said that either swale or belmarsh will be the next to go up


but , prisoners are actually getting away with assaulting prison offiers thanks to the goody brigade

Alot are saying the rioting was caused by, overcrowding in the prison. Class C criminals being moved to Class A cells, is a no wonder why there were riots. (As per usual it is the prison officers who face the brunt of the riots).

Not only that they released 50 000 prisoners early to curb the overcrowding. Anything they do will not resolve the problem. Mind you I do not know how you anyone can resolve overcrowding in our prison system.

[edit on 13-4-2009 by Laurauk]

my country the united kingdoms of great Britain is unrecognizable to me anymore..being British has been so watered down that the scum from other country's have more rights than me....it truly saddens me to have children grow up to be living in Britain..all i here is them saying that Australia is the last refuge of the British....soon Britain will be turned into another middle eastern hell hole , where it will be illegal to be a white christian male.. you just have to look at the politically correct job adverts where they say they are recruiting men of Asian cultures to balance the work force and white males need not apply....the world has gone mad..

Good! Problem solved. We'll just pass out pamphlets telling the pirates to surrender to the British and declare asylum. Gotta love the British! Thanks.

It's really nothing more than a promotion for the pirates.
From hijacking ships, to hijacking the refugee process. Next they'll hijack the welfare system and come full circle.

Money for nothing.