The government has today published plans to enable post-Brexit
Britain to continue to play a central role in global sanctions to
combat the threats of terrorism, conflict and the proliferation
of nuclear weapons. Proposals include additional powers to cut
off funding for terrorists by making it easier to freeze assets
and block access to bank accounts.
The Sanctions Bill would ensure the UK has the necessary legal
powers to implement sanctions after Brexit, as well as greater
flexibility in choosing when and how to introduce new measures.
The UK will also continue to play a central role in negotiating
global sanctions as a member of the UN Security Council.
At the moment, the UK implements over 30 sanctions regimes,
including those against Russia, North Korea, Iran, Daesh and Al
Qaida.
The government’s response to the 9-week public consultation of
these new powers is to:
1. Create new powers to impose, implement and enforce sanctions
regimes, drawing on the current EU model;
2. Introduce an annual review of regimes to ensure that they
remain appropriate;
3. Ensure individuals and organisations can challenge any
sanctions imposed on them;
4. Enable the government to issue exemptions when needed, for
example in delivering humanitarian aid in regions affected by
sanctions; and
5. Make it easier to stop suspected terrorists from accessing
their money.
The UK currently negotiates and imposes non-UN sanctions against
specific countries through EU laws. This Bill will repatriate
powers on non-UN sanctions from Brussels, reflecting and building
on the measures that the UK currently has under EU law.
Minister for Europe Rt Hon Sir MP said:
“The new Sanctions Bill will ensure that when the UK leaves the
European Union, we retain the ability to impose, update and lift
sanctions regimes, both to comply with our international
obligations and in pursuit of our foreign policy and national
security objectives.
“This will enable us to impose sanctions as appropriate either
alone or with partners in the EU and around the world, to take
targeted action against countries, organisations and individuals
who contravene international law, commit or finance terrorism or
threaten international peace and security.”
The government’s proposed plans will also make it easier to
freeze a suspected terrorist’s bank accounts and stop them making
money from their assets, such as selling their house or car.
At the moment, to freeze a person’s assets, the government must
reasonably believe that the person is, or has been, involved in
terrorism, and that freezing their assets is necessary to protect
the public.
The new proposals would make it easier to stop suspected
terrorists in their tracks as the government would only need to
have reasonable grounds to suspect the person or group is or has
been involved in terrorism and that sanctions are an appropriate
action.
This is important given the evolving nature of terrorism.
Terrorists are now causing significant damage using very small
amounts of funds and resources.
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury said:
“These new powers will help us keep the British public safer from
terrorist attacks by keeping money out of the hands of those
wishing to cause us harm.”
“Our counter terrorist financing proposals will make it easier
for law enforcement and government to impose sanctions on those
that present a threat to our national or international security.”
These powers will help us continue to lead the global fight
against Daesh and form part of the review of Britain’s counter
terrorism strategy announced in the Prime Minister’s speech in
June.
