The UK will NOT take any more Guantanamo prisoners, says Miliband... as EU foreign chief predicts bloc will help Obama
Helping hand? UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband speaks to the press in Brussels, where he is attending the meetings on Guantanamo
Britain ramped up the pressure on its EU neighbours to take in Guantanamo Bay terror suspects last night after it refused to accept any more.
The Foreign Office released figures showing the UK has taken in double the number of detainees than any other European country.
It revealed that 27 former Guantanamo inmates have been returned to the EU to date. Almost half of these, 13, have gone to Britain.
In contrast, 20 EU governments have failed to open their doors to one single prisoner held at the notorious prison camp.
The lack of action comes despite repeated calls by many European countries for the U.S. to shut Guantanamo, which has received widespread condemnation for its human rights failings.
The figures also show that France has taken in seven detainees, Belgium and Spain two each, and Germany, Denmark and Sweden one each.
On Monday, Foreign Secretary David Miliband made clear that Britain would not accept any terror suspects with no links to the country, and claimed the UK has 'done its bit'.
The Foreign Office is also currently negotiating the release of the two remaining British residents held at Guantanamo - Benyam Mohammed, an Egyptian, and Saudi-born Shaker Aamer.
Of the remaining EU residents held at the camp, one is French and six are Italian.
A Foreign Office source said: 'These figures show that Britain is in the lead in terms of taking in detainees held at Guantanamo.
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'We are happy to offer advice on our experiences to other countries.'
Although President Obama has ordered that the prison camp be closed within a year, the authorities are unable to send home many of the remaining 245 prisoners amid fears they may face abuse or persecution.
The new President's decision to shut the camp also suffered a further setback this week when the Pentagon released details of the 61 former detainees it believes have 'returned to terrorism'.
Guantanamo: President Barack Obama has already ordered the camp closed - but the problem of where to put the detainees remains
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