The British Government has announced measures to exclude individuals who are thought to have committed human rights abuses.
The new rules were announced in the Foreign Office’s annual Human Rights Report, which was released today.
At the moment, only individuals who are viewed as a threat to national security are refused entry.
Under the new measures, ‘credible’ evidence of current or past human rights abuses could allow ministers to ban non-EU citizens to enter the UK.
The new rule will state that:
“Foreign nationals from outside the European Economic Area may only come to the UK if they satisfy the requirements of the immigration rules.
“Where there is independent, reliable and credible evidence that an individual has committed human rights abuses, the individual will not normally be permitted to enter the UK.”
However, the new measures will not necessarily exclude foreign officials or heads of state, who are accused of human rights abuses. If the individuals are visiting as part of a policy of engagement on human rights, entry will be permitted.
Shami Chakrabarti, director of civil liberties group Liberty, said:
“The devil is in the detail. However given the understandable outrage when it becomes difficult to deport undesirables, it is common sense to apply greater scrutiny before allowing people accused of grave crimes from entering the UK in the first place.”