Blair defends plan to deport 20 foreigners

LONDON—Up to 20 foreigners are in custody in Britain awaiting deportation to countries that have a record of torturing or abusing detainees, Prime Minister Tony Blair said Tuesday, but he defended his efforts to counter Islamic extremism. Civil rights activists have condemned Blair’s efforts to deport people to several north African and Middle Eastern countries with questionable human rights records. But Blair insisted his government had a duty to protect Britain’s security, and needed new powers to counter the threat of international terrorism. On July 7, four suspected suicide bombers killed 52 people on London’s transport system.
“We have got to be able to make sure we return people if they are a threat to the security of this country,” Blair told a House of Commons committee. The government is trying to sign agreements with several nations guaranteeing that foreign nationals returned there will not be mistreated. So-called memoranda of understanding have already been signed with Jordan and Libya and the government is seeking similar deals with eight other countries, including Algeria, Lebanon and Tunisia. Civil rights activists and the U.N. special envoy on torture have warned, however, that such assurances have no weight in international law.—Agencies