An agreement could put an end to the kind of deportation case which saw an Albanian criminal remain in the UK because his son would not eat nuggets from abroad.
States grappling with migration problems have pushed for changes to how the ECHR is interpreted (Image: Getty)
Countries signed up to European human rights laws are set to agree a new interpretation of key elements aimed at tackling illegal migration. A number of states grappling with migration problems have pushed for changes in the way the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) treaty is interpreted.
This is especially the case with the treaty’s Article 3 protection against inhuman or degrading treatment and the Article 8 right to a family life. Both articles have been used to prevent people with no right to be in the UK being sent back to their home countries. It is understood that a declaration is to be published on Friday (May 15) by the Council of Europe, the continent’s 46-member human rights organisation.
The changes could see an end to cases such as the notorious “chicken nugget migrant” which saw an Albanian criminal allowed to remain in the UK in part because his son was averse to eating chicken nuggets from abroad.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will attend the Council of Europe Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Moldova to finalise the agreement.
Labour, unlike the Conservative Party and Reform UK, is committed to remaining within the ECHR, which was drawn up in the aftermath of World War Two.
The Foreign Office said a “more modern” interpretation of the ECHR is set to be agreed.
More than 200,000 migrants are thought to have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel since 2018.
Successive governments have tried to work with France to disrupt crossings, as well as revising the rules for claiming asylum in the UK in attempts to deter people from making the perilous journey.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will attend a Council of Europe meeting to finalise the agreement (Image: Getty)
Ms Cooper said ahead of her visit: “We have been working with neighbours across Europe to ensure that countries can take strong action against illegal migration, control borders, uphold the rule of law and respect international standards.
“The ECHR has protected democracy, human rights and the rule of law across Europe for 75 years.
“To ensure this continues, we need a common sense approach that reflects the realities of today.
“We want to ensure that immigration systems can’t be unfairly gamed to prevent foreign criminals or those accused of crimes abroad being lawfully returned.”
Attorney General Lord Richard Hermer said: “The ECHR delivers meaningful protections for ordinary people in Britain and across Europe.
“The convention is 75 years old, but it has never been static – it has shown its ability to adapt and to respond to new challenges.
“That is why this country is proud to be part of a process to work with colleagues across the continent to modernise how the ECHR works, including how to protect our borders in the national interest, to ensure the convention endures for another 75 years and beyond.”
Reform UK’s Robert Jenrick told GB News that even in his dying days as prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer is still trying to prop up “broken” human rights conventions.
He added: “Attempts to reform the ECHR are as doomed as David Cameron’s attempt to reform the EU. It’s either leave or remain. The only way to secure our borders and deport the thousands of foreign criminals in our country is to quit and make these decisions in our own Parliament.”