system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[TNG] How does the prime directive play into situations with isolated human colonies?

In S05E13: The Masterpiece Society The Enterprise comes across a human colony that has been isolated for several centuries and are somewhat behind from a technological standing point. Does the prime directive not come into play when the species is just an offshoot of humans?
gpt
They're not an offshoot, they are humans. The Federation has no legal power over them, but no, the Prime Directive does not apply. Picard states this in the episode.

As humans who have created an off-world colony they are aware of the existence of aliens. There's nothing to surprise them with. Once made aware of the danger the comet fragment posed to their colony they asked for help. If they were covered by the Prime Directive then Picard would have just allowed the fragment to hit the planet and never would have told them it was coming.

Also, as a human, there was no reason not to give Hannah Bates asylum as she requested.