UK is safe haven for evil, warn MPs

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Justice Secretary Jack Straw announced last month that he would change the law to ensure suspected war criminals living in the UK could not escape prosecution.

A 10-year extension of the cut-off period to cover crimes committed as far back as 1991 was hailed as a victory for victims of the Rwandan genocide and other conflicts.

And the Government said it would also reconsider the definition of a UK "resident" amid warnings many serious criminals were able to visit and pass through the country with impunity.

But a report by the Joint Committee on Human Rights said the Government's failure to go further meant there would remain "impunity gaps for the world's worst criminals".

It said the UK should copy the US and allow anyone "brought into or found in" the country to face prosecution for crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes in internal conflict. That would bring it more into line with other heinous offences such as war crimes in international conflicts, torture and hostage taking which have no "residency" requirement.

Ministers told the committee the UK did not aim "to become a policeman for the world". During its inquiry, the committee heard evidence that the UK Borders Agency had investigated 1,863 individuals in the UK for genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity.

Campaign group Aegis told members there were "significant numbers of suspected war criminals and genocidaires who are either in the UK or have visited this country."

The committee also questioned why ministers had set the cut-off point for genocide and war crimes in internal conflicts at 1991, as well as crimes against humanity, when international law allowed alleged crimes committed in those two categories as far back as 1948 and 1949 to be prosecuted.

Having different cut-off dates was not "an exercise beyond the capacity of the UK Government or beyond the understanding of the public", the report said. It also called for a specialist war crimes unit to be set up and given "resources commensurate with the seriousness of the crimes they need to investigate and the importance of leading the world in bringing international criminals to justice."