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Terror adviser calls for security discussion on migration
TL;DR
The UK's terrorism legislation reviewer calls for a discussion on migration's impact on national security after a knife attack in Belfast. The attacker, a Sudanese man, entered the UK in 2023 and was granted refugee status.
Key points
- Discussion on migration's impact on national security is needed
- Sudanese man charged with attempted murder entered the UK in 2023
- Jonathan Hall KC emphasizes legitimacy of immigration discussions
- Belfast attack has destabilizing effects on the community
Mentioned in this story
Jonathan Hall KCSudanese manBelfast
The government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation has said there needs to be a discussion on the impact of migration on the UK's national security, following the backlash to a knife attack in Belfast.
Jonathan Hall KC made the comments after it emerged the 30-year-old Sudanese man charged with attempted murder had entered the UK in 2023 and was given refugee status.
He told BBC Radio 4 Today programme it was "absolutely legitimate to talk about immigration in the context of national security".
"If you look at state threats and people who have been willing to act as proxies or carry out attacks on behalf of Iran... I'm interested in the question of whether or not foreign nationality, particularly recent migrants, is becoming more relevant to the overall national security picture," he said.
Hall said although it does not appear the Belfast attack was a national security incident, "it has had huge ramifications... not least for people who happen to be black and brown who appear to have been driven out their houses, so it's extraordinarily destabilising".
The barrister said there has also not been a response to Donald Trump's National Security Strategy), released in November, which accused Europe's migration policies of "transforming the continent and creating strife". No European leaders have publicly accepted his assertion.
Trump has warned many countries in Europe "will not be viable countries any longer" if they keep on the way they are going, adding: "What they're doing with immigration is a disaster."
"Now you may not have agreed with the language, but I think it does raise the question if certain countries are more likely either to commit very serious offences, or particular offences, or to get involved with state threat activity," he said.
"Do we need to start thinking about migration now not simply in terms of the economy and housing, but also in terms of national security?"
Asked if there are also questions about people coming here particularly from war-torn places, Hall drew comparison to the work of the security services, who he said assess the potential risk of those in Syrian camps who left the UK to join the Islamic State group.
"One of the key features is that they were involved in, either witnessed or they perpetrated really serious violence and the assessment is that affects the risk that they present were they to return to the UK, so I think it is a relevant factor, yes," he said.
"Ultimately national security is the health of the nation."
In the government's cohesion strategy published in April, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that social cohesion was "a vital front in the resilience of our national security".
Q&A
What did Jonathan Hall KC say about migration and national security?
Jonathan Hall KC stated that it is legitimate to discuss immigration in the context of national security, especially following the Belfast knife attack.
Who is the Sudanese man charged in the Belfast knife attack?
The Sudanese man charged with attempted murder in Belfast is 30 years old and entered the UK in 2023, where he was granted refugee status.
What are the implications of the Belfast knife attack on migration discussions?
The Belfast knife attack has sparked discussions about the potential national security implications of recent migrants, although it is not considered a national security incident.
How has the Belfast attack affected the local community?
The attack has led to significant destabilization in the community, particularly affecting individuals who are black and brown, resulting in some being driven from their homes.
