The Association of Chief Police Officers - Parliament

Association of Chief Police Officers –Written evidencetravel, cheap telecommunications, the internet and the expansion of criminalnetworks across national boundaries are all contributory factors to the growth inextradition requests. These are irreversible changes which need to be matched byincreasing flexibility on the part of European law enforcement and criminal justiceagencies.4.2.5 Further evidence of these changes is to be found in data concerning arrests. Recentdata gathered by the MPS in the first quarter of 2012 showed that of 61,939 peoplearrested in London, 8,089 were nationals from EU countries (13%) and 9,358 wereforeign nationals from outside the EU (15%). The presence of fugitives from justicefleeing to the UK is a significant public safety issue. In 2011/12 the MPS received 50EAWs for homicide, 20 for rape, and 90 for robbery. Each of these cases representsa person who is wanted for a serious crime who fled to the UK. There is strongevidence to show that foreign criminals who come to UK continue to offend when inthe UK. There is a real risk that opting out of the EAW and relying on less effectiveextradition arrangements could have the effect of turning the UK into a ‘safe haven’for Europe’s criminals.4.2.6 The EAW is an efficient system, built upon mutual recognition of criminal justicesystems between member states and an obligation to comply with a properlyconstructed warrant. Barriers which previously existed have been removed. Thenationality of the person sought can no longer be a barrier to affecting an extraditionrequest. Under the previous arrangements many European states, such as Germany,France and Poland, did not allow their nationals to be extradited to stand trial andrequired them to be tried in their home state. On this point, it should be noted thatsome non-EU states still have this rule.4.2.7 Prior to the introduction of the EAW, extradition between European states where itdid occur could, and often would, take many months in uncontested cases and manyyears in contested cases. EAW data from the Commission to the EuropeanParliament show that across the EU it takes an average of 17 days to surrender awanted person in cases with consent and 48 days in non-consensual cases.Pre-EAW Example:On 4 November 1995 Rachid Ramda, an Algerian national, was arrested in the UKin connection with a terrorist attack on the Paris transport system. France soughtextradition from the UK. The legal process was protracted and it was not until2005 that his extradition was finally completed. Throughout this time he wasdetained in British prisons. He was convicted in France and sentenced in March2006 to ten years imprisonment.Post-EAW Example:Hussein Osman, a naturalised British citizen born in Ethiopia, was identified as asuspect for the failed bomb attack at Shepherd Bush Tube Station on 21 July 2005.The UK sought his extradition under the relatively new EAW arrangements. Hisextradition was completed in September 2005. On 9 July 2007 Hussain Osman wasfound guilty at Woolwich Crown Court of conspiracy to murder and sentenced toa minimum of 40 years imprisonment.8