The United Kingdom and several European countries have backed a new declaration calling for faster removal of illegal migrants and reduced court interference in deportation cases.
The agreement was unveiled during a summit in Moldova and signed by the 46 member states of the Council of Europe, the body responsible for overseeing the European human rights system.
The declaration urges the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg to give national governments greater authority when handling migration and deportation matters. European leaders argue that rising migration pressures and people-smuggling operations are testing the ability of countries to manage borders effectively.
Ahead of the summit, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the agreement as a “common-sense approach” aimed at preventing immigration systems from being unfairly exploited.
The declaration does not change the European Convention on Human Rights itself, but it sends a strong political message encouraging judges to place greater weight on public interest, national security, and democratic concerns when ruling on migration cases.
European governments said the current migration situation is very different from when the convention was originally created after the Second World War. The declaration also states that countries have the sovereign right to control immigration policies and remove foreign nationals when necessary.
The document places major attention on people smuggling networks, warning that organized smuggling operations and migration-related pressures could weaken public trust in democratic systems across Europe.
It also supports the idea of “return hubs” outside Europe, where rejected asylum seekers could potentially be sent while awaiting removal. Italy has already introduced a similar arrangement with Albania for some migrants intercepted while trying to reach Europe.
The UK has previously explored similar agreements with other countries. However, the former government’s Rwanda deportation policy was ruled unlawful in 2023 by the UK Supreme Court over concerns about the treatment of genuine refugees.
The declaration further argues that failed asylum seekers should not automatically avoid deportation because healthcare systems or living conditions in their home countries are poorer than those in Europe. It states that such claims should only stop removals in very exceptional circumstances.
European leaders also emphasized that the right to family life should not automatically prevent deportation. According to the declaration, national courts are better positioned than international judges to balance individual rights against public safety and border control concerns.
Critics of the agreement warned that the declaration could weaken human rights protections for migrants and asylum seekers. Others questioned whether the European Court of Human Rights would significantly change its legal approach based on political pressure from member states.