- The UK will be able to take stronger action against illegal migration as Council of Europe Foreign Ministers, including Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, are set to agree an updated interpretation of Articles 3 and 8 of the ECHR today
- The UK has led diplomatic efforts alongside like-minded partners over recent months, securing support for a principled and international approach to restoring order and control to the immigration system – whilst reaffirming shared commitment to ECHR as a vital protection for people’s rights in uncertain times
- New declaration set to support ambitious domestic efforts to restore order and control, including cracking down on individuals exploiting the system to avoid deportation
A more modern interpretation of the European Convention for Human Rights (ECHR) – which will help courts in the UK ensure that serious criminals are not able to avoid deportation – is expected to be agreed today in Chisinau, Moldova by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, the Attorney General, and fellow Foreign Ministers.
The UK has been leading the debate across Europe, working with partners to reform the way the ECHR is interpreted to support prompt removals of those who have committed serious crimes or have exploited the system. If agreed, this collective agreement will demonstrate the success of UK diplomacy – and will provide clear evidence that a principled and international approach to combatting illegal migration can achieve change.
The declaration is expected to help courts interpret how the ECHR is applied, ensuring that serious criminals are not able to exploit the system to frustrate their deportation and extradition, and ensuring that family rights under Article 8 are properly balanced against the public interest – including the ability of countries to be able to deport foreign criminals and address national security threats.
The Foreign Secretary will attend the Council of Europe Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Moldova to finalise the Political Declaration with Council of Europe ministers, which will support the UK’s ability to pursue wider reforms to restore order and control to its borders.
The UK has led the push to modernise how the ECHR is interpreted throughout her time in government, launching a review of Articles 3 and 8 last year as Home Secretary, and driving engagement with European partners to ensure the Convention can adapt to solve the significant and complex migration challenges across the continent.
She will tell the Council that the Convention is immensely important to European security and rights, but that the way it is interpreted must reflect the real challenges to domestic and border security that nations face today.
Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said
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.
We need a strong, principled, international approach to tackling illegal immigration.
The UK will continue to build the partnerships abroad that make us stronger at home.
Attorney General, 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.
Furthering a manifesto promise, the Foreign Secretary, alongside over thirty-five of her counterparts, will confirm to the Council that the UK is committed to the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and pushing forward action to operationalise this unique judicial body to prosecute those responsible for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including those who may be sitting within the Kremlin.
The Council of Europe has also announced important work to tackle foreign information manipulation and interference. The Foreign Secretary will welcome the Council’s approach and highlight the importance of joint work to tackle hybrid and information threats.
Earlier this week, the Foreign Secretary announced some of the UK’s toughest action to date targeting Russia’s information warfare campaigns through sanctions hitting over fifty individuals and entities who are sowing pro-Kremlin narratives abroad in flagrant attempts to destabilise Ukraine and undermine European elections, including most recently in Armenia.
Notes to Editors
- Landmark legislation announced in this week’s King’s Speech [13 May] will bring into effect the main reforms announced in Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s Restoring Order and Control statement last November – the most significant in a generation. The Immigration and Asylum Bill will deliver radical reform to reduce pull factors driving illegal migration and increase the removal of those with no right to be here.
- To restore order and control to the immigration system and ensure it operates fairly and effectively, the legislation will tighten the application of Article 8 of the ECHR to prevent gaming of the system and ensure that the public interest carries proper weight in immigration decisions.