Overseas terror victims eligible for compensation, says government

Britons who lived in the UK for at least three years before being injured in a terror attack overseas are eligible for compensation from today, the Government said.

Justice Minister Crispin Blunt said the payments to victims of atrocities overseas were to be limited to those “who have a clear and sufficient connection to the UK”.

The scheme will also only apply to six specific attacks since the start of 2002 which have been deemed eligible by Foreign Secretary William Hague.

These include the Bali bombings on October 12 2002, the attacks on tourist sites in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, on July 23 2005, and the Mumbai attacks in India on November 26 2008.

The others were the bombings in Kusadasi, Turkey, on July 16 2005, in Dahab, Egypt, on April 24 2006, and in Marmaris, Turkey, on August 27 2006.

Mr Blunt said: “We believe it is proportionate and necessary for the scheme to focus limited resources on those who have a clear and sufficient connection to the UK.

“Therefore, payments will be made to British, EU and EEA victims with a minimum of three years' residence in the UK immediately prior to a terrorist attack that is designated for the purposes of the ex gratia scheme.”

In a written statement to MPs, he went on: “The aim of the ex gratia scheme is to demonstrate solidarity with those in our community who have been affected by terrorist incidents overseas, taking into account the nature of terrorist attacks as a political statement and attack on our society.”

The scheme would aim to compensate those who “continue to have an ongoing disability as a direct result of the injuries they sustained”, he added.

People injured in domestic terrorist attacks already qualify for compensation under the criminal injuries compensation scheme (Cics).

PA