The situation in the Ukraine could be one for the future of many Nations including the United Kingdom.
The Ukraine is a Nation where many of the citizens have an allegiance to Russia, many see themselves as Russians living in the Ukraine and some see themselves as Russians living in a part of Russia called the Ukraine.
Whilst I have always supported and continue to support immigration and believe it is necessary for the prosperity of the United Kingdom we have a similar situation but even more diversified.
We have citizens in the UK who see themselves primarily of another Nationality living in the UK, Indians, Pakistanis, Romanians, Afghans, Iraqis and so on. Whilst many of them were born in the UK they still have a strong allegiance to the Nation of their hereditary.
The Ukraine is facing a civil war, in the United Kingdom we have another factor, religion here has a greater impact on the loyalty of the citizens here.
I believe we could benefit from ALL citizens of the UK swearing an allegiance to the UK as part of our acceptance to residing here as citizens and the entitlement to a United Kingdom/EU Passport. Why should we issue a Passport to someone who is unwilling to swear their allegiance to the Nation that they expect to protect them at home and when travelling abroad, the Nation who will house them and support them and provide medical facilities should they need them.
As a former soldier I have sworn my allegiance to Crown and Country, I would be happy to do so again as a civilian.
Thoughts .................
There are large English ex-pat communities all over the world. Are we going to say they have to give up being English and swear allegiance to wherever they are !!! I welcome anyone that has a right to be here, and is willing to live with-in the rules and laws of this country.
Don't think we need to get in-commers to swear allegiance to the UK.
But we should make it clear that anyone not born in the UK who is convicted of a criminal act for which the penalty could be a jail sentence WILL be deported along with all of their dependants. And we should do this every time !! Maybe we need a referendum to get the people to agree with this and then stick two fingers up at the EU if they try to overrule it.
John
Swearing allegiance is a commitment, break your allegiance and your liable to imprisonment for treason.
It would be up to the ex pats, If they are going to spend the rest of their lives living in another country then they should swear their allegiance to that Nation, if they are merely living there for an unspecified time the should remain allied to the United Kingdom, but should not expect the same level of assistance from the Nation that they are residing in that would be given to their own Nationals.
When war broke out in Cyprus the British Army was sent to assist British Nationals living there, this is a common occurrence but had they sworn an allegiance to Cyprus that would not be needed, there are advantages to being British which should only be available to British and British Commonwealth Nationals who have sworn their allegiance to the United Kingdom, The people of the Falkland Islands are another example of those we should support over and above others.
I do agree with a policy of deportation for those breaking UK laws, and for the families of those convicted, many of todays terrorists care nothing for their own lives, they want to sacrifice themselves for their cause, the want to die during an act of terrorism, there is not deterrent for them but if they knew their families would be deported they might think twice. If their families could be convicted and imprisoned for harbouring a traitor they might think different, harsh ? perhaps, unfair, perhaps but you wont defeat terrorism by using the rules of cricket.
Muslim beating ? I was warned by the site for my thread supporting Muslims in this Country especially the 500 plus currently serving in the British Armed Forces.
I am perhaps guilty of verbally beating terrorists, if you give me the examples of the recent atrocities carried out by Catholic or Jewish or Sikh fanatics in the UK I will be happy to debate that.
I have agreed with Sikhs being allowed to wear their religious Turbans and disagreed with them being permitted to carry their religious knives since one is within the laws of the UK and one is not.
Though I obviously confirm that deporting the families found to be guilty of terrorist attacks in the UK I do personally believe it would be a deterrent for some would be attackers.
Our previous experience with the IRA showed a different situation, when cornered and facing imminent arrest an IRA terrorist would surrender, serve his time in the knowledge that the IRA would take care of his family and not wish to be killed.
The fundamentalists is the opposite, they want to die in the process of carrying out an act of terrorism, therefore cornering them is just as dangerous as not stopping them carrying out their attack, they will happily explode a device killing themselves and those within range rather than go to prison, there is little deterrent that can be used against them, the fear of being caught or killed is not existent, they will die, Allah will be happy and the westerners will die, in their way of thinking a good result. Their family may be sad or may be happy that they have achieved their goal and moved to a higher plain.
So yes, perhaps knowing that their family will be deported and affected may be a deterrent.
"and then stick two fingers up at the EU if they try to overrule it. "
It's a myth that the EU demands people stay if they break the laws of the host Country.
It's just not true.
If you disrespect the laws of your host country, you can be deported - it is written!
France have done this twice now in recent times with the Roma. Once under the rule of President Sarkozy and more recently under Mr Flanby.
When a person has been convicted of a crime of terrorism or died committing an act of terrorism their family is charged with being related to that person and sentenced to interment, of course they can apply to leave the United Kingdom to live somewhere that they feel they would be happier and of course if they can find somewhere willing to accept them, of course being being UK citizens or residing here under EU rules no EU country can refuse them entry.
I don't want to, but I am willing to, as I said, perhaps the thought of what might happen to families will act as a deterrent to those that would attack us, if not then much as I sympathise with the families my loyalties are towards you and all the other innocents residing here, to law abiding Muslims and any other law abiding citizen or temporary resident of the UK and I will push the bounds to protect them. reluctantly but absolutely. I also feel I would be protecting those families and children from other terrorist because targets are for the most part indiscriminate.
I believe that in most cases the family are totally innocent, in some cases they are innocent and have no knowledge of what their family member is planning, some do not know but suspect it or do little to prevent what might happen, in some cases they condone their actions afterwards albeit in a somewhat veiled manner, some condemn what they have done, but to protect the innocents some innocents are going to have to suffer, that is the nature of terrorism.
All family members.
I know how abhorrent such action is to some, I despise internment myself but I feel that the acts of terrorism are worse, we interned people who might be a threat during WWII and in the H Blocks of NI in the 70s. It is impossible to say if this had any effect but no action certainly has an effect.
And before anyone asks "what other crimes should this be extended to, jail a drug dealers family etc, of course not, my proposal is extreme to deal with an extreme situation, hundreds of terrorist attacks have been foiled, some have taken place, we live with the effects of terrorism every day of our lives and I believe that the situation will only get worse.
Couple of points here
firstly Mids...you have pointed out earlier that a number of the terrorists are actually home grown.....so where we going to deport them to...if they Bitish to start with ???
Secondly....how far are you going to take the family line back !! wife..kids..brothers..sisters..aunties..uncles...third cousin removed where do you draw the line !!
Lastly it would have little or no effect on these terrorists. Most of them have been brain washed to such an extent that they consider what they are doing is for the greater good and GOD or ALLAH. So they have no forethought for themselves or family.
I fully agree with you, it is a terrible thing to do, but what do you think we should do ?
How do we fight terrorism ?
What do we do about the facilities that exist to transform innocent men and women into terrorists willing to maim and kill other innocents and to die doing it, a number of the recent terrorists have as we all know been converted to Islam, nothing wrong with that but at the same time they have been converted to terrorists.
I don't think we need to return to killing witches since I am not aware of any witches killing thousands of innocent people at the moment.
Fascism at its very best, intern everyone who doesn't fit eh Mids?