Starmer urges European leaders to reform human rights laws to tackle immigration and curb far right – latest

The UK and Denmark are among a number of countries grappling with migration problems which are pushing for changes in the way the treaty is interpreted, notably in its 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.

David Lammy will say: “The definition of ‘family life’ can’t be stretched to prevent the removal of people with no right to remain in the country.

“The threshold of ‘inhuman and degrading treatment’ must be constrained to the most serious issues.

“And states must be able to take proportionate decisions on the removal of foreign criminals, so that we renew the convention’s democratic foundation.”

Labour, unlike the Tories and Reform UK, are committed to remaining within the ECHR, which was drawn up in the aftermath of the Second World War.

Thousands of asylum claims remain unresolved after three years, damning new analysis of Home Office data shows, as the government grapples to get the backlog down.

The National Audit Office (NAO) found that almost half – 56 per cent – of the 5,000 people who made an initial asylum claim in January 2023 did not have a final outcome by September 2025.

Some 2,812 people did not have a conclusion in their asylum claim, the report published on Wednesday said. Of those who did not have their case resolved, 1,369 were withdrawn, disqualified or suspended.

It comes as David Lammy attends the Council of Europe to call on fellow leaders to rehash how the ECHR is interpreted in law to tackle illegal migration.

Read the full article from social affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft here:

David Lammy is expected to call for joint action to modernise the European Convention of Human Rights to empower states to tackle illegal migration, and secure the future of the treaty.

The deputy prime minister will say that pulling out would be a “fake solution that would undermine every international agreement”, but will call for the ECHR to evolve to prevent ongoing “abuse of the system and to crack down on criminal gangs”.

Mr Lammy will say: “We must strike a careful balance between individual rights and the public’s interest, otherwise, we risk a loss of confidence in the Convention, and in human rights themselves.”

He will also add that the UK is “committed to the European Convention on Human Rights. The Convention is a critical foundation of peace, stability, and security in Europe. It is a mechanism for justice, that guarantees and delivers everyday protections for every citizen in Europe.

“However, the Convention was never intended to be frozen in time… it has endured because it has evolved.”

The government has been criticised for failing to “uphold basic rights” of protesters, migrant workers and disabled people.

Dr Stephenson, who took up her post at the beginning of December, highlighted areas where “key human rights” are not being guaranteed for certain groups.

Read the full article here:

French far-right leader Jordan Bardella told the Daily Telegraph newspaper he would rewrite French border policy to allow British patrol boats to push back migrant dinghies into France’s waters, if he led the country.

The National Rally leader and French MEP is currently leading in opinion polls to win the first round of France’s next presidential elections, expected in 2027.

He said that he and Nigel Farage had met to discuss what the Frenchman described as preparations for governing. “We came to the conclusion that we must prepare our political movements to exercise power and that it is possible we will do so at the same time,” he said.

Amnesty International UK hit out at UK plans to lead reforms of the ECHR, describing it as weakening protections.

Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UK’s refugee and migrant rights programme director, said: “There is a dreadful irony in our Justice Secretary working with his counterparts to remove or reduce rights on the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It shows how far we have drifted from the moral resolve of the last century, when our grandparents determined that the fact we are all born free and equal must be protected in law.

“Human rights were never meant to be optional or reserved for comfortable and secure times. They were designed to be a compass, our conscience, when the politics of fear and division try to steer us wrong. To weaken ECHR protections now, on a day meant to reaffirm dignity and protection for all, is not reform. It is moral retreat.”

Europe’s leaders must rehash how a major human rights treaty is interpreted in law to tackle illegal migration and prevent voters from turning to “the forces that seek to divide us”, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The Prime Minister and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen have made a joint call on other leaders across the continent to agree a “modernisation” of how the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is interpreted in their countries’ laws.

In an opinion piece for the Guardian newspaper, the two prime ministers advocated for a tougher approach to policing Europe’s borders as a means of winning against populist political opponents, and said they were “making this case across Europe”.

Sir Keir acknowledged the “current asylum framework was created for another era”, adding: “In a world with mass mobility, yesterday’s answers do not work. We will always protect those fleeing war and terror – but the world has changed and asylum systems must change with it.”

But his Government has insisted it will remain a member of the treaty, and has adopted a series of hardline immigration measures, modelled on those spearheaded by Ms Frederiksen’s Danish government, in order to decrease the number of migrants crossing the English Channel.

“Migration must be orderly, managed and sustainable. Irregular routes should not be the go-to option – so we must dismantle the human smuggling networks that prey on desperation.

“Together, we are calling on our friends across Europe to go further in tackling these shared challenges,” the two leaders wrote.

Lisa Nandy said the Government does not want to introduce a social media ban for children like Australia’s because of concerns about “enforceability”.

Asked whether the measure would be a good idea, the Culture Secretary told Times Radio: “We don’t think so. We asked young people what they thought about it, and the overwhelming response was concerns about enforceability.

“Are we seriously saying that we’re going to start prosecuting young people for going on social media?

“There’s also a real concern particularly amongst girls that if people can’t see the problem with behaviour online, they won’t be able to see the problem with behaviour in the real world.

“What they really wanted was more education, more advice, and particularly someone who cared about them, who they could talk to, an adult who they could trust… to be able to navigate some of this.”

Talks on how to modernise the way the European Court of Human Rights tackle illegal migration cases are set to begin on Wednesday, with deputy prime minister David Lammy set to attend the Council of Europe summit in Strasbourg.

The British government has been working behind the scenes for international partners to revolutionise the way in which the ECHR approaches migrations cases, with critics stating it gets in the way of removing those who have travelled via people smuggling routes.

Nine members of the human rights body, led by Italy and Denmark, have already called earlier this year for reforms. While the UK did not sign the open letter, it is understood it has been lobbying behind the scenes.

It has been reported that member states hope to reach a political declaration by spring. If achieved, it would be one of the most important reforms to human rights law since the ECHR came into existence in 1953.

High government borrowing costs since Labour won the election have cost the taxpayer up to £7bn, according to a new report.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found the UK had faced “uniquely high” borrowing costs compared with other advanced countries.

Yields on government bonds – also known as gilts – have risen steadily since Labour came into power in the summer of 2024.