Editing Bermuda (section)

====Asylum offer to four former Guantánamo detainees====
{{main|1=Uyghur detainees at Guantanamo Bay#Bermuda|l1=Uyghur detainees at Guantanamo Bay: Bermuda}}

On 11 June 2009, four [[Uyghur people|Uyghurs]] who had been held in the United States [[Guantánamo Bay detention camp]], in [[Cuba]], were transferred to Bermuda.<ref name="AssociatedPress2009-06-11">{{Cite news |last=Barrett, Devlin |date=11 June 2009 |title=4 Chinese Muslims released from Guantanamo |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hXh3uNX3sav1yJUl6k1XFvjZaycgD98OG1R01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20191220225403/https://www.webcitation.org/5hS9ZCaJA?url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hXh3uNX3sav1yJUl6k1XFvjZaycgD98OG1R01 |archive-date=20 December 2019}}</ref><ref name="RadioFreeAsia2009-06-11">{{Cite news |date=11 June 2009 |title=Four Uyghur Detainees Released |publisher=[[Radio Free Asia]] |url=http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/release-06112009074832.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614062626/http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/release-06112009074832.html |archive-date=14 June 2009}}</ref><ref name="RoyalGazette2009-06-11a">{{Cite news |date=11 June 2009 |title=Breaking News: Premier's statement on Guantanamo Bay |work=[[The Royal Gazette (Bermuda)|The Royal Gazette]] |url=http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?articleId=7d965ba30030000&sectionId=60 |access-date=11 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090616154053/http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?articleId=7d965ba30030000&sectionId=60 |archive-date=16 June 2009}}</ref><ref name="RoyalGazette2009-06-11b">{{Cite news |date=11 June 2009 |title=Breaking News update: Guantánamo decision taken "without permission" Governor to assess implications |work=[[The Royal Gazette (Bermuda)|The Royal Gazette]] |url=http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?articleId=7d965be30030000&sectionId=60 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090630224929/http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?articleId=7d965be30030000&sectionId=60 |archive-date=30 June 2009}}</ref> The four men were among 22 Uyghurs who claimed to be refugees who were captured in 2001 in Pakistan after fleeing the [[American aerial bombardment of Afghanistan]]. They were accused of training to assist the [[Taliban]]'s military. They were cleared as safe for release from Guantánamo in 2005 or 2006, but US domestic law prohibited deporting them back to China, their country of citizenship, because the US government determined that China was [[human rights in China|likely to violate]] their human rights.

In September 2008, the men were cleared of all suspicion and Judge Ricardo Urbina in Washington ordered their release. Congressional opposition to their admittance to the United States was strong<ref name="AssociatedPress2009-06-11" /> and the US failed to find a home for them until Bermuda and [[Palau]] agreed to accept the 22 men in June 2009.

The secret bilateral discussions that led to prisoner transfers between the US and the devolved Bermuda government sparked diplomatic ire from the United Kingdom, which was not consulted on the move despite Bermuda being a British territory. The British Foreign Office issued the following statement:

{{blockquote|We've underlined to the Bermuda Government that they should have consulted with the United Kingdom as to whether this falls within their competence or is a security issue, for which the Bermuda Government do not have delegated responsibility. We have made clear to the Bermuda Government the need for a security assessment, which we are now helping them to carry out, and we will decide on further steps as appropriate.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Leonard |first=Tom |date=11 June 2009 |title=British anger over Bermuda decision to take Guantanamo detainees |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/bermuda/5507926/British-anger-over-Bermuda-decision-to-take-Guantanamo-detainees.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=22 April 2017 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/bermuda/5507926/British-anger-over-Bermuda-decision-to-take-Guantanamo-detainees.html |archive-date=10 January 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref>}}

In August 2018, the four Uyghurs were granted limited citizenship in Bermuda. The men now have the same rights as Bermudians except the right to vote.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bell |first=Jonathan |date=28 August 2018 |title=Uighur refugees granted citizenship |work=[[The Royal Gazette (Bermuda)|The Royal Gazette]] |url=http://www.royalgazette.com/politics/article/20180827/uighur-refugees-granted-citizenship |url-status=live |access-date=31 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831191450/http://www.royalgazette.com/politics/article/20180827/uighur-refugees-granted-citizenship |archive-date=31 August 2019}}</ref>