Posted on 09/15/2005 11:48:20 AM PDT by Sweetjustusnow
Immigration Service officials today detained seven foreign nationals under the home secretary's powers to deport individuals for reasons of national security. The seven, understood to all be men, were held early this morning in operations across London and at one address in Manchester.
Officers from the Metropolitan police and Greater Manchester police supported the immigration officials. The seven will be held in undisclosed secure prison accommodation pending deportation proceedings, the Home Office said.
The Home Office said the deportation orders had been made using the Immigration Act 1971 rather than the home secretary's new deportation powers, which were extended after the July 7 attacks. The names of the men have not been disclosed.
Today's developments follow the detention in similar raids last month of 10 terrorism suspects including Abu Qatada, a radical preacher who has been described as being al-Qaida's "ambassador in Europe".
A spokesman for the Home Office said the Immigration Act 1971 gave the home secretary, Charles Clarke, "powers to deport individuals whose presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good for reasons of national security".
Since the suicide bombings in London, which killed 52 people, the government has pledged to take greater action against people considered to be threats to national security.
In another Home Office move last month, the radical Islamist cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed, who had been living in the UK for almost 20 years, was banned from returning to Britain from Lebanon.
Speaking after the cleric was banned, Mr Clarke said: "We are continuing to look at people in this country whose presence here is not conducive to the public good.
"We will be looking at further steps that can be taken to ensure that those who are working against the interests of this country are properly dealt with."
In an unprecedented arrangement completed before last month's detention of 10 terror suspects, ministers finalised agreements to allow them to be deported to countries including those with poor human rights records. Some human rights campaigners criticised the move and said the government's extension of anti-terror powers was going too far.
Mr Clarke's new powers allow him to order a person's detention and deportation from the UK on the grounds of "unacceptable behaviour" such as preaching in support of terrorism.
The first concrete details about the government's new anti-terror powers were being published today. They are expected to move rapidly through parliament during the autumn.
Gee, I didn't know the ...err, "refugees" from New Orleans / Katrina had gone THAT far away.
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