As it faces a crisis of a huge influx of asylum seekers, the UK has aligned itself with several European right of centre governments by calling for human rights laws to be “constrained” so Rwanda-style migration deals and more deportations of foreign criminals can proceed.
Twenty-seven of the 46 Council of Europe members, including the UK, Hungary and Italy, have signed an unofficial statement urging a new framework for the European convention on human rights that would narrow the definition of “inhumane and degrading treatment.”
The statement followed a meeting in Strasbourg where members discussed changing how the laws apply in migration cases, with the UK’s deputy prime minister, David Lammy, arguing that the rules must not obstruct efforts to tackle illegal migration. France, Spain and Germany declined to sign the document and instead supported a separate official declaration backed by all 46 governments, highlighting deep divisions across Europe on handling irregular migration and the rights of refugees and economic migrants.
The letter signed by 27 countries said article 3 of the convention should be limited to the most serious issues so states can make proportionate decisions on expelling foreign criminals, even when healthcare or prison conditions are involved. It also contended that article 8 should be adjusted to prioritise the seriousness of a criminal’s offence over their personal ties to the host country.
The statement further suggested that states should be free to cooperate with third countries to process asylum and return procedures, provided the human rights of irregular migrants are preserved, and it listed signatories including Denmark, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Poland and Ukraine.
Two teenage Afghan asylum seekers were jailed in the UK this week for the rape of a 15 year-old girl
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE: If you would like to support our independent journalism at Good Morning World, please subscribe to our daily newsletter. It’s FREE and appears 7 mornings a week. As we prepare to install a fully-automated sign-up, in the meantime please send an email with the word SUBSCRIBE to ianrbrodie@gmail com.