‘Who’s it going to be next time?’: ECHR rethink is ‘moral retreat’, say rights experts

Twenty-seven European countries are pushing for a reevaluation of post-World War II human rights laws, arguing they impede efforts to manage migration. This follows a letter in May from nine EU states claiming the European Convention on Human Rights hinders their sovereignty and ability to deport criminals. Critics, including Amnesty International and the Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights, view this as a "moral retreat" that risks creating a hierarchy of people. The commissioner argues politicians are using inaccurate and "lazy language" to correlate migration with crime, fueling public fear and demands for migration limits. He also noted that in the UK, cases where human rights laws prevented criminal deportations are rare and manageable, contrary to popular perception.

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