Crews from Russia’s shadow-fleet oil tankers would be able to claim asylum in the UK if their ships are seized, ministers are said to fear. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood have reportedly raised concerns that Russian crew members may exploit Britain’s asylum system.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced in March that UK commandos would be able to board and halt Russia‘s shadow fleet vessels as they ferried oil to support its war in Ukraine through UK waters. None has been seized so far. Reports emerged late this week that Black Sea fleet frigate Admiral Grigorovich accompanied two shadow fleet vessels off England’s south coast on Wednesday while British tanker RFA Tideforce followed behind.
Whitehall sources have told the Telegraph that seizing shadow fleet tankers could give sailors brought to the UK an opportunity to claim asylum in Britain.
Crew members may argue they would be at risk of persecution in Russia if they are sent back. Immigration rules in the UK allow foreign nationals to claim asylum if they are at risk of persecution in their home country.
Ms Cooper and Ms Mahmood are reportedly working on plans which would allow the Royal Navy to seize shadow-fleet tankers, but without letting crew members stay in Britain.
Officials are also reported to be examining how the French were able to seize tankers in the Mediterranean Sea without having to accept crew members as asylum seekers.
Defence Secretary John Healey said on Thursday that the UK had tracked three Russian submarines which loitered over critical undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic for a month before retreating.
Mr Healey warned Russian President Vladimir Putin: « We see your activity over our cables and our pipelines, and you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences. »
Luke Pollard, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, said such public declarations prevent Putin from denying responsibility when Russian vessels destroy undersea cables or pipelines.
He told Times Radio on Friday (April 10): « We have taken the decision to declassify covert Russian activities that Putin wanted to be kept secret.
« It’s key to his hybrid warfare – not just in the Atlantic but in the Baltic Sea as well – that when Russians disrupt undersea cables or pipelines, they deny that they’ve done it.
« By declaring the Russian activity, putting it in the public domain, we’re denying their deniability, as the military phrase goes for it.
« What that means is Putin can’t say it wasn’t him, and that’s precisely why we’ve done it – to reduce his options to say that we see your activity, we’re calling it out. »
He added that a Russian warship escorting shadow fleet tankers shows how vulnerable they now are after UK threats to seize the sanctioned vessels.
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