Another step towards 1984 - Government to decide where British citizens are allowed to travel

Hades · 20 May 2019 at 11:49

The Home Secretary is considering restricting British citizens from traveling to Syria. This is possible under recent terrorism laws. While on the face of it this sounds reasonable to fight terrorism, it really doesn't sit comfortably with me. We used to deride the Soviet Union for restricting their citizens travel and held ourselves up as morally superior for not having to do so.

But we are now in a situation where the government can stop you or I traveling to somewhere it decides we should not go.

I find this completely unacceptable.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48329418

jsmoke · 20 May 2019 at 11:54

Sounds like it will be selected individuals.

He said the legislation was welcome but there would be complications over who it covered.

pooley · 20 May 2019 at 11:59

jsmoke said:
Sounds like it will be selected individuals.

For now..

StriderX · 20 May 2019 at 11:59

Right wing government btw.

Freakbro · 20 May 2019 at 11:59

It does say "ban travel to Syria without a legitimate reason" not a total ban per se.

So as much as I agree it sounds the typical Govt's sledgehammer to crack a nut approach to a problem, and people are complaining we have a problem, I'm not sure it's the descent into totalitarianism your title implies.

It's not really a casual holiday destination is it, apart from @MickeyFinns of course

And I'm sure he can provide legitimate travel evidence.

Hades · 20 May 2019 at 12:00

jsmoke said:
Sounds like it will be selected individuals.

Possibly. But the principle is still the same in that they are restricting a citizens right to travel abroad.

"If you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear"... yeah, right :mad:

Randomface74 · 20 May 2019 at 12:01

Well there are two problems:
1. you can't make someone stateless
2. radical Islam is a threat

This doesn't really solve either of them.

Hades · 20 May 2019 at 12:02

Freakbro said:
It does say "ban travel to Syria without a legitimate reason" not a total ban per se.

Who decides what is a legitimate reason? Will the criteria be publicly known and applied evenly and without prejudice? Will those legitimate reasons change over time?

robfosters · 20 May 2019 at 12:04

I don’t care as I never want to go there anyway

EvilSooty · 20 May 2019 at 12:07

"A new counter-terrorism act allows him to ban people from travelling to, or remaining in, certain areas - or face up to 10 years in prison."

So presumably the likes of Idlib which is infested by thousands of Al Qaeda.

Yet another schizophrenic law from our government. Last August we intervened along with the US & France threatening military action against Syria in the event of a convenient CW attack in Idlib if they tried to retake the area yet at the same time we acknowledge the area is full of jihadis by laws like this. So we have a problem with our citizens going there, but the Syrian gov are expected to tolerate thousands of Al Qaeda occupying their territory.

Makes sense.

If the ban extends to areas under the Syrian Gov's control which are largely stable it's just spite for them standing up to our pet jihadis.

P.S. This could also be used to stop British journalists going there to expose our gov's lies.

Hades · 20 May 2019 at 12:07

robfosters said:
I don’t care as I never want to go there anyway

What if they ban travel to somewhere you do care about? This is entirely possible.

robfosters · 20 May 2019 at 12:08

Hades said:
What if they ban travel to somewhere you do care about? This is entirely possible.

I’ll be very surprised if they ban travel to Spain, Greece or Cornwall.

Hades · 20 May 2019 at 12:09

robfosters said:
I’ll be very surprised if they ban travel to Spain, Greece or Cornwall.

So would I. But once it becomes normal to ban people from certain countries it will inevitably be introduced for other countries (not Spain etc obviously).

glenimp617 · 20 May 2019 at 12:12

Sorry, but I agree with the government on this one.

When you have a society as thick as ours, they need telling sometimes.

robfosters · 20 May 2019 at 12:12

Hades said:
So would I. But once it becomes normal to ban people from certain countries it will inevitably be introduced for other countries (not Spain etc obviously).

But it’s a law banning Britons from travelling to terrorist hotspots. It’s not the whole of Syria, just parts of northern Syria.

Why would you want to visit a terrorist hotspot? We’re then expected to feel sorry for them and rage when they end up being beheaded on video, or they travel there because they want to be the ones doing the beheading. No, sorry, I’m with the government on this one too.

StriderX · 20 May 2019 at 12:14

robfosters said:
But it’s a law banning Britons from travelling to terrorist hotspots. It’s not the whole of Syria, just parts of northern Syria.

Why would you want to visit a terrorist hotspot? We’re then expected to feel sorry for them and rage when they end up being beheaded on video, or they travel there because they want to be the ones doing the beheading. No, sorry, I’m with the government on this one too.

Is Paris a terrorist hotspot then?

Hades · 20 May 2019 at 12:16

robfosters said:
But it’s a law banning Britons from travelling to terrorist hotspots. It’s not the whole of Syria, just parts of northern Syria.

Why would you want to visit a terrorist hotspot? We’re then expected to feel sorry for them and rage when they end up being beheaded on video, or they travel there because they want to be the ones doing the beheading. No, sorry, I’m with the government on this one too.

Luckily none of our governments have ever used laws for reasons other than the originally intended one. Nope. Never. We can all have complete confidence in this and any future government to behave nicely.

Cromulent · 20 May 2019 at 12:16

I don't think Syria would let me in any way.

robfosters · 20 May 2019 at 12:17

StriderX said:
Is Paris a terrorist hotspot then?

I don’t get your point?

Marky · 20 May 2019 at 12:17

Didn't wanna go anyway