Exiles who fled IRA terror 'should be allowed home'

Human rights activists have called on the IRA to lift their threat against scores of people intimidated out of Northern Ireland during the conflict and allow them to come home.

The Families Against Intimidation and Terror (FAIT) group has written to the British and Irish Governments to ask for action during talks in Scotland next week to restore devolved government in the North.

The intervention follows republican calls for IRA fugitives to be allowed to return to Ireland without fear of prosecution.

FAIT co-founder Henry Robinson said: “Thousands of Irish people still live under the shadow of the gunman. We call on the IRA to issue a public statement lifting all threats against the exiles.

“Let our people come home.”

The IRA’s statement standing down its members in July 2005 didn’t mention the exiles.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams wants to discuss the issue of IRA members on-the-run from the authorities during talks in St Andrews next week but said today it was not a deal breaker.

Alliance Party leader David Ford said republicans couldn’t argue on behalf of activists while ignoring victims’ plight.

“Obviously it is a key issue which remains to be dealt with. It is a sad fact that not only were large numbers of people exiled but many still don’t feel safe to come home,” he said.

“Since the vast majority of exiles are out of Northern Ireland in fear of republicans it is essential that republicans make statements and ensure that people are free to come home.”

The British government tried to legislate to allow IRA on-the-runs home during the last parliamentary session but the bill collapsed amid strong opposition from Northern Ireland parties.

Sinn Féin was also unhappy as the amnesty would have included security force members.

Human rights worker and academic Liam Kennedy said the status of exiles was one of the most important questions facing the St Andrew’s negotiators.

“We have got to get a resolution to this long-standing problem. The exiles and their families have been largely forgotten, condemned to suffer in silence.”