The Sun says deport foreign prisoners, unless you're the Ozzie government

Will it shock you to hear that The Sun can be ever so slightly guilty of pandering to the basest prejudices in society and doesn't care if this occasionally means it is just a bit inconsistent? It wont surprise you? Well whoever is working the internet for you, God bless them.

You may well have come across the story of this rather vile individual, Raymond Horne, who was convicted of a string of sex offences in Australia, and once he'd served his time in jail has been deported back to this country, which he left in 1952 as a five year old.

Well, The Sun are running a poll on whether he should be let back into the country and are being predictably robust in their attitude towards him. "Experts warned last night that a British child will pay the price of Australia booting out vile Horne — amid fears he will become even MORE dangerous."

"Even an Aussie child protection expert admitted: “I’m delighted there’s one less paedophile in the country. “But someone’s child, somewhere, is going to pay the price for this.”

"Authorities planned to keep him locked up indefinitely — but last week they declared him an “unlawful citizen” and lumbered Britain with him instead. Ahead of him is a life of freedom at the taxpayers’ expense. He will even be allowed to choose where in the UK he lives — but worried parents will not know where that is.

"Even Horne’s prison doctor Wendell Rosevear said: “The risk of paedophiles re-offending is known to increase after deportation, due to heightened anxiety. I fear that British children will be at risk after he settles into the wider community.”

"Paul Roffey, director of the UK-based RWA Child Protection Service, accused the Queensland Police and Corrective Services Minister Judy Spence of simply “shifting the problem offshore”.

"He said: “Let’s make it English children instead of Australian children — that seems to be her attitude. It’s outrageous. Horne, who has lived most of his life in Australia, will have no network in the UK. He will feel even more isolated — increasing his risk of him reoffending.”

But hold on. When the situation has been reversed The Sun says deportation is the right thing to do and has no concern for the people of the "recipient" country. Like this story from 2006.

JOHN REID made a huge mistake by not revealing that hundreds of foreign madmen had been freed on to our streets when they should have been deported. His first responsibility as Home Secretary is the safety of the public, not the reputation of the Labour government. The maniacs are believed to include murderers, rapists and other sex offenders.

The people of Britain were already sick of the lies, spin, chaos and incompetence which have become the hallmark of the Home Office.

When Mr Reid was made Home Secretary three weeks ago he was viewed as a breath of fresh air. He had everyone’s support in his mission to root out the idiots who allowed outrageous scandals on terrorism, crime and immigration.

These blunders resulted in REAL people being murdered, raped and robbed by criminals who should have been booted out or locked up.

That last sentence is the most interesting one. REAL people - ie British people - because foreigners who are "murdered, raped and robbed" in other countries by the same individuals they are talking about, well they are not actually REAL are they?

You can't have it both ways. The fact is that deporting someone on top of the sentence they receive for their crimes simply because they are not citizens of a particular country is a dangerously two tiered legal system. If Horne, or anyone else, was given the wrong sentence
then we should focus on that - the real issue - not what passport they own.

It can't surprise anyone that The Sun want to have their cake and eat it, but its still worth pointing out when it happens.