Sunday, November 22, 2015
Claim that terrorist threat will increase if we leave the EU
The former chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Sir Hugh Orde has made a vital point today when he warns that the UK will find it harder to keep terrorists out of the country and to deport them after arrest if it leaves the European Union.
According to the Observer, Sir Hugh has argued that the country will be at greater risk if it “pulls up the drawbridge” and steps aside from EU intelligence sharing. He says that intelligence plays an increasingly crucial role in fighting international crime and thwarting terrorist plots:
Quitting the EU, he says, “would not quell jihadis’ murderous intent towards the British way of life, but it could make it harder for us to prevent them arriving and then deport suspects when here”.
Last week Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, said the Paris attacks strengthened the case for a UK exit. “What’s happened is ghastly but we’ve got to ask ourselves some big questions,” he said.
“We have a problem already and, to my mind, if we allow access to countless millions without any means or ability of checking who they are, we’re adding to a problem that already exists within our countries.”
But Orde, one of the most respected figures in policing, says the anti-EU campaigners have “misused the horrific events in Paris to try to support their failing cause. Their argument is that by standing alone from Europe and pulling up the drawbridge, Britain can secure its borders and better repel the threats we face.
“They are right that the Parisian tragedies must make us reassess and redouble our efforts to tackle terror – at home and abroad – but their prescription is fundamentally wrong. If followed, the Leave campaigns would endanger our country and communities, not protect them.”
Orde maintains that the kind of international cooperation that has developed in the EU, and measures such as the European arrest warrant (EAW), are a vital part of efforts to combat the global threat of terrorism.
“We have the best of both worlds, the security and stability gained from being part of Europe, but the flexibility to opt out of arrangements which aren’t in our national interest,” he says.
It is the most convincing reposte yet to the message of hate and division preached by UKIP and needs to be circulated widely.
According to the Observer, Sir Hugh has argued that the country will be at greater risk if it “pulls up the drawbridge” and steps aside from EU intelligence sharing. He says that intelligence plays an increasingly crucial role in fighting international crime and thwarting terrorist plots:
Quitting the EU, he says, “would not quell jihadis’ murderous intent towards the British way of life, but it could make it harder for us to prevent them arriving and then deport suspects when here”.
Last week Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, said the Paris attacks strengthened the case for a UK exit. “What’s happened is ghastly but we’ve got to ask ourselves some big questions,” he said.
“We have a problem already and, to my mind, if we allow access to countless millions without any means or ability of checking who they are, we’re adding to a problem that already exists within our countries.”
But Orde, one of the most respected figures in policing, says the anti-EU campaigners have “misused the horrific events in Paris to try to support their failing cause. Their argument is that by standing alone from Europe and pulling up the drawbridge, Britain can secure its borders and better repel the threats we face.
“They are right that the Parisian tragedies must make us reassess and redouble our efforts to tackle terror – at home and abroad – but their prescription is fundamentally wrong. If followed, the Leave campaigns would endanger our country and communities, not protect them.”
Orde maintains that the kind of international cooperation that has developed in the EU, and measures such as the European arrest warrant (EAW), are a vital part of efforts to combat the global threat of terrorism.
“We have the best of both worlds, the security and stability gained from being part of Europe, but the flexibility to opt out of arrangements which aren’t in our national interest,” he says.
It is the most convincing reposte yet to the message of hate and division preached by UKIP and needs to be circulated widely.
