Tougher powers to freeze terror bank accounts and seize suspects’ homes and cars announced as part of new sanctions laws for after Brexit

‘Tougher powers to seize terrorists’ cars and homes and block their access to bank accounts are announced today.
The measures form part of a new law which will create the UK’s post-Brexit sanctions regime.
Britain currently negotiates and imposes non-United Nations international sanctions through European Union laws.
But a Sanctions Bill will be put before Parliament to ensure it has the legal powers to place restrictions on foreign countries after the UK’s withdrawal from the EU in 2019.
It will include additional powers to ensure ministers can freeze terrorists’ assets more easily.
Under existing rules, the government must have a ‘reasonable belief’ that someone is involved in terrorism and that freezing their assets is necessary to protect the public.
Under the new plans the bar would be lowered, so ministers would only need to have ‘reasonable grounds’ to suspect a person or group is involved in terrorism and that sanctions are an ‘appropriate action’.
Read more: Tougher powers to freeze terror bank accounts and seize suspects’ homes and cars announced as part of new sanctions laws for after Brexit