Britain's counter-terrorism powers that have led to more than 85,000 travelers being stopped and searched at ports and airports at random in 2009-2011 should be reviewed, watchdog warns.
David Anderson QC who is currently the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation said special branch officers questioned 2,687 people who were detained at random for more than an hour in 2009-2010 with detention of 466 people taking up to nine hours.
Anderson said the number of the detainees under the schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 for 2010-2011 is yet to be published but added his research shows whatever the number, the powers are leaving Muslims with the “negative experience” that the regulations are targeted at them.
This comes as the Federation of Student Islamic Societies earlier said that ethnic or religious minorities especially those from Asia are up to 42 times more likely to be stopped and searched compared with the white people.
The concerns among several minority groups has led the Home Office to pledge an investigation into the concerns that minorities “are disproportionately affected” by the schedule 7 powers.
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