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The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Britain risks being ‘dumping ground' for forced labour goods
In the 99-page document, MPs and peers on the influential Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) called on ministers to impose import bans on goods linked to forced labour. Mandatory human rights due diligence for UK firms and penalties for flouting the requirements should also be introduced, the cross-party group said. This would establish a legal duty for businesses to manage any risk of human rights abuse in their operations, such as by requiring suppliers to fulfil certain conditions, rather than the existing 'voluntary' approach. Key to UK laws governing forced labour is the Modern Slavery Act 2015, but the committee warned a lack of 'enforceable legislation' is leaving loopholes in the system. 'The evidence we heard demonstrates that goods produced by forced labour are being sold in the UK,' the JCHR said. 'Cargo flights are permitted to bring goods directly from the capital of Xinjiang to the UK unhindered and media investigation has provided strong evidence that tomatoes produced under forced labour conditions are used in products sold in UK supermarkets.' Britain's approach to imports has fallen behind other key markets like the EU and the US, which have introduced bans on goods linked to forced labour, according to the report. 'The UK's lack of equivalent legislation puts the UK at risk of becoming a dumping ground for goods that cannot be sold elsewhere,' it said. It recommended the Government bring in a similar measure to establish who is responsible for preventing the import of such goods and what happens if goods are confiscated. This ban should make clear that no company that uses or allows state-imposed forced labour in its supply chains can import goods to the UK, the committee said. Concerns have also been raised over the UK's free trade deal with India, where human rights groups estimate more than 11 million people are living in modern slavery. Meanwhile, more than a million people are estimated to live in modern slavery in the US, according to the same data, compiled by the International Labour Organisation and Walk Free in partnership with the UN. The JCHR said the UK could learn from the EU's policy of using 'political clauses' in its deals to promote the bloc's values, as it continues negotiations with some Gulf states amid concerns about their human rights records. It urged the Government to make it an explicit policy to include provisions concerning forced labour in future trade agreements, and to avoid entering negotiations with countries participating in state-imposed forced labour. Sir Keir Starmer's Government has sought to balance a revival of relations with Beijing in its pursuit of growth with matters of national security amid concerns about Chinese interference in Britain and human rights concerns. China has denied accusations it is subjecting the Uighur minority to forced labour. Lord David Alton, chairman of the JCHR, said its inquiry had seen 'shocking evidence' of human rights abuses in a wide range of industries at the heart of UK trade. 'Most of all, we want to see strong leadership from the Government. It's intolerable in the 21st century that we profiteer on the broken backs of slave labour, from Uighur servitude in Xinjiang to child labour in the cobalt mines of the Congo, and elsewhere,' he said. 'The Government knows (the) nature of the problem and the challenge but meaningful action has been lacking.'
Wales Online
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Wales Online
Hundreds of ISIS terrorists are free to walk the streets of UK
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Hundreds of Islamic State terrorists are reportedly at large in the UK due to a failure to prosecute them. It's believed that around 425 "fighters" have returned to Britain after committing appalling atrocities in Syria and Iraq, yet an inquiry has highlighted that none have been successfully prosecuted. MPs and Lords are now demanding new laws to enable these individuals to face justice. They're urging the Government to modify the Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament, to facilitate prosecutions. Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Lord David Alton, has expressed concerns: "This is not something the UK can simply wash its hands of because it happened overseas." Islamic State, also termed Daesh, stands accused of heinous crimes such as murder and rape. Around 5,000 Yazidis have been killed, with over 200,000 forced from their homes. Lord Alton voiced his stance clearly: "We know that British nationals committed the most horrendous crimes in Iraq and Syria under the Daesh regime and we have a duty to see them brought to justice. "To date, no Daesh fighters have been successfully prosecuted for international crimes in the UK and we find this unacceptable." The committee stated: "We want to see more action from the Government in identifying the perpetrators, some of whom may have returned to Britain, others likely detained in camps in Syria. "This will require better coordination from law enforcement and criminal justice, and also the removal of barriers preventing some prosecutions." It's believed that some individuals may have evaded justice due to a legal loophole that prevents British courts from prosecuting individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, or other war crimes committed abroad, unless they are UK nationals, residents, or subject to laws applicable to armed forces personnel. Although there are no official statistics on the number of Islamic State terrorists in the UK, the Government estimates that 850 individuals left the country to join the extremist group in Syria and Iraq, with around half believed to have returned. The Joint Committee warned: "The UK Government has formally recognised that the acts committed against the Yazidi people by Daesh were acts of genocide. However, despite this recognition, there have been no successful prosecutions of Daesh fighters in the UK for international crimes, including genocide. "To remedy this concerning reality, we recommend several changes to policy and law to achieve greater accountability of Daesh fighters for their crimes." The Government has been urged to intensify efforts to identify British citizens detained in Syrian camps, with the aim of repatriating and prosecuting them. It's estimated that around 42,500 ISIS terrorists and their families are held in what are essentially large-scale prison camps, believed to include 20 British households, children included. The inquiry also advocated for increased scrutiny over decisions to strip British citizenship from individuals perceived as public threats. The UK can enact this if it doesn't result in statelessness, typically in cases of dual citizenship. The most notable instance is Shamima Begum, a UK-born woman who journeyed to Syria in February 2015 at age 15 and married a Daesh fighter. Her citizenship was revoked four years later. However, numerous lesser-known cases exist, with at least 1,080 deprivation of citizenship orders issued between 2010 to 2023. The Committee stated: "The Government must provide greater transparency as to the use of deprivation of citizenship powers, including by providing regularly updated data to the public." A Government spokesperson responded: "The Government's priority remains maintaining the safety and security of the UK and we are committed to achieving accountability for all victims of Daesh's crimes. We will consider the findings of this report."
The National
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
UK government must not 'wash its hands of British-born ISIS fighters'
The UK has not yet 'successfully' prosecuted former ISIS fighters war crimes committed in Syria and Iraq, despite the possible involvement of British citizens, a report has found. The terrorist group was accused of genocide by the UK government for the killing of about 5,000 Yazidis, and the kidnapping of women and children belonging to the minority group in Iraq in 2014. Yet hundreds of ISIS fighters who are believed to have 'returned' to the UK after the group was defeated by a US-led coalition in 2017 have yet to be prosecuted for their potential involvement in genocide, crimes against humanity or other war crimes, a report by the Joint Committee on Human Rights found. The report was based on two inquiries with evidence from barrister Amal Clooney, independent terrorism reviewer Jonathan Hall KC, the Met Police's counter-terrorism unit and the Crown Prosecution Service. It found police and the Crown Prosecution Service were too 'focused' on bringing former ISIS fighters to justice on terrorism charges, causing them to overlook potential war crimes investigations. The UK was also constrained by its own war crime laws, namely the International Criminal Court Act 2001, which meant it could prosecute only crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes suspected of being committed by British citizens or residents. Committee chairman Lord David Alton accused the government of trying to 'simply wash its hands' of issue of foreign ISIS fighters because the group carried out its atrocities overseas. It was 'unacceptable' that no successful prosecutions had yet taken place, he added. 'We know that British nationals committed the most horrendous crimes in Iraq and Syria under the Daesh regime and we have a duty to see them brought to justice,' he said. 'We want to see more action from the government in identifying the perpetrators, some of whom may have returned to Britain, others likely detained in camps in Syria. This will require better co-ordination from law enforcement and criminal justice, and also the removal of barriers preventing some prosecutions." The committee has called for the ICC Act to be amended through the Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently being debated by Parliament. The inquiry also examined the issues of British ISIS fighters who have been detained since 2017 in north-eastern Syria, often with family members. It called for "greater transparency" in the UK's policy of stripping British ISIS members of their citizenship. Shamima Begum, who travelled to ISIS-held territory a decade ago, aged 15, is the most famous example of the state's use of this power. But the report said the UK "uses deprivation of citizenship orders more than almost any country in the world", and ministers must account for this. About 20 British families are believed to be detained in camps in north-east Syria, in conditions which Lord Alton described as "deplorable". Women and children account for a high number of those detained, the report said. The committee called on the government to repatriate children and minors 'where feasible as soon as possible'. 'It is in the UK's interest to ensure they do not become a new generation of the radicalised and they must be brought home," Lord Alton said. Proper identification of British citizens detained in Syria was also needed enable international war crimes prosecutions. 'The Government should step up efforts to identify British nationals currently held in camps in Syria. Where there is sufficient evidence that international crimes were committed, they should be prosecuted,' the report said. About 850 British citizens are known to have travelled to join the group, which took over large parts of Iraq and Syria. An estimated 425 British nationals who joined IS in Iraq and Syria were believed to have returned to the UK in 2017, the UK government said that year. Two British-born ISIS fighters, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, were stripped of their citizenship and sentenced to life in jail in the US in 2022. Aine Davis, who was part of the same ISIS cell, sentenced in the UK to eight years in jail for funding terrorism in 2023.
Scottish Sun
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
‘Rattled' China knows world is on brink of truth about Covid lab leak – they are desperate to shift blame, say experts
CHINA'S brazen claim that the Covid pandemic started in the US "smacks of desperation", says an expert. Viscount Matt Ridley and Lord David Alton react to the extraordinary accusation made in a new White Paper released by Beijing's State Council Information Office. 4 China has claimed the Covid pandemic may have started in the US Credit: EPA 4 'I think it's almost certainly a response to the web page,' says Viscount Matt Ridley Credit: Jack Hill/The Times 4 'When it comes to disinformation the Chinese Communist Party is in a league of its own,' says Lord David Alton Credit: PA Viscount Matt Ridley, a hereditary peer in the House of Lords and science writer, told The Sun: "It smacks of desperation. "They can feel the net closing in - that it's more and more obvious that it was reckless and pointless experiments at the Wuhan Institute of Virology that caused this. "The coincidence is bizarre that it should turn up in that city of all places. "I think it's almost certainly a response to the web page. I think the timing suggests that they are rattled - that they felt they needed to respond to the White House. "It suggests that they have given up on their theory that it got there on frozen food. That used to be their preferred theory. "I've read the brief announcement - it seems to be extremely threadbare. There's a lot of faulty logic. We know Covid-19 tests can give false positives." Lord David Alton, a member of the House of Lords, told The Sun: "When it comes to disinformation the Chinese Communist Party is in a class of its own. "Over 7 million people died from Covid and millions more have suffered from its consequences. "All the evidence points to Covid's origins in China. "They should be held to account through reparations and not allowed to get away with pedalling falsehoods." It comes after The Sun's explosive Covid lab leak documentary laid bare the mounting evidence and disturbing questions surrounding the virus's emergence in Wuhan - home to China's most secretive bio-research facility. I was in Oval Office with Trump at start of pandemic - no one was closer to Chinese officials than me & I believe Covid was engineered in lab Just a few days ago, the US unveiled a bombshell new web page on the origins of Covid, blaming the Wuhan Institute of Virology for unleashing the killer virus. Now, in a fresh propaganda push, Beijing insists "substantial evidence" shows Covid "might have emerged in the United States earlier than its officially-claimed timeline, and earlier than the outbreak in China". The document - titled Covid-19 Prevention, Control and Origins Tracing: China's Actions and Stance - was released via China's official Xinhua news agency. It unashamedly accused the US of "indifference and delayed actions" during the global Covid fight - and of scapegoating China to deflect from its own "mismanaged" response. It wrote: "The US has made China the primary scapegoat for its own mismanaged COVID-19 response." The report added that America was 'spreading misinformation' and wasted 'precious time China had secured for the global fight against the pandemic". It revived Beijing's long-standing claims that it shared information with the world in a "timely manner". The paper added: 'The US should not continue to 'pretend to be deaf and dumb', but should respond to the legitimate concerns of the international community.' 4
The Sun
01-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
‘Rattled' China knows world is on brink of truth about Covid lab leak – they are desperate to shift blame, say experts
CHINA'S brazen claim that the Covid pandemic started in the US "smacks of desperation", says an expert. Viscount Matt Ridley and Lord David Alton react to the extraordinary accusation made in a new White Paper released by Beijing 's State Council Information Office. 3 3 3 Viscount Matt Ridley, a hereditary peer in the House of Lords and science writer, told The Sun: "It smacks of desperation. "They can feel the net closing in - that it's more and more obvious that it was reckless and pointless experiments at the Wuhan Institute of Virology that caused this. "The coincidence is bizarre that it should turn up in that city of all places. "I think it's almost certainly a response to the web page. I think the timing suggests that they are rattled - that they felt they needed to respond to the White House. "It suggests that they have given up on their theory that it got there on frozen food. That used to be their preferred theory. "I've read the brief announcement - it seems to be extremely threadbare. There's a lot of faulty logic. We know Covid-19 tests can give false positives." Lord David Alton, a member of the House of Lords, told The Sun: "When it comes to disinformation the Chinese Communist Party is in a class of its own. "Over 7 million people died from Covid and millions more have suffered from its consequences. "All the evidence points to Covid's origins in China. "They should be held to account through reparations and not allowed to get away with pedalling falsehoods." It comes after The Sun's explosive Covid lab leak documentary laid bare the mounting evidence and disturbing questions surrounding the virus's emergence in Wuhan - home to China's most secretive bio-research facility. I was in Oval Office with Trump at start of pandemic - no one was closer to Chinese officials than me & I believe Covid was engineered in lab Just a few days ago, the US unveiled a bombshell new web page on the origins of Covid, blaming the Wuhan Institute of Virology for unleashing the killer virus. Now, in a fresh propaganda push, Beijing insists "substantial evidence" shows Covid "might have emerged in the United States earlier than its officially-claimed timeline, and earlier than the outbreak in China". The document - titled Covid-19 Prevention, Control and Origins Tracing: China's Actions and Stance - was released via China's official Xinhua news agency. It unashamedly accused the US of "indifference and delayed actions" during the global Covid fight - and of scapegoating China to deflect from its own "mismanaged" response. It wrote: "The US has made China the primary scapegoat for its own mismanaged COVID-19 response." The report added that America was 'spreading misinformation' and wasted 'precious time China had secured for the global fight against the pandemic". It revived Beijing's long-standing claims that it shared information with the world in a "timely manner". The paper added: 'The US should not continue to 'pretend to be deaf and dumb', but should respond to the legitimate concerns of the international community.' The Great Covid Cover-up By Imogen Braddick, Assistant Foreign Editor FEW of us had heard of the Chinese city of Wuhan when the world was first paralysed by Covid-19 five years ago. Today, the sprawling metropolis is synonymous with the pandemic that claimed 227,000 lives in the UK — along with its sinister labs where top secret biological experiments are carried out. Within the first few days of Britain's initial lockdown in March 2020, as millions were confined to their homes, questions were already being asked about whether Wuhan 's Institute of Virology could be behind the outbreak. Now, as the country marks the five-year anniversary of Covid-19, an exclusive documentary by The Sun reveals the experts, scientists and investigators who not only believe the virus was caused by a lab leak, but that American scientists helped to cover up the scandal. Our documentary took me to the heart of the origins of Covid and explores whether China was trying to cover up the creation of a biological weapon by blaming the pandemic on a wet food market 17 miles away. We also reveal that, while scientists publicly insisted the disease came from 'natural' sources, behind the scenes they were exchanging messages about a laboratory leak. One expert told us: 'Watergate was nothing compared to this. 'This is the Chernobyl of biology.' Dr Robert Redfield, the former head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that a few months before the pandemic, the Wuhan Institute was taken over by the Chinese military while officials deleted its databases and took on a contract for a new ventilation system. We now know that three lab researchers fell ill in November 2019 — a month before the first Covid cases were reported to the World Health Organisation. 'I think that's when the pandemic started,' said Dr Redfield, describing a 'frenzied cover-up that was keeping Chinese President Xi Jinping up at night'. The US virologist says he was 'aggressively silenced' when he voiced fears Covid had leaked from the lab, where ' Batwoman ' scientist Shi Zhengli was carrying out experiments on strains of coronavirus.
