Archived version: https://archive.ph/opd7m
A senior UK cabinet minister has signalled the government may be prepared to leave the European convention on human rights (ECHR) if it will help the UK tackle the problem of migrants arriving on small boats crossing the Channel.
Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, said the government would do “whatever is required”, even if that meant pulling out of the ECHR, the 70-year-old pan-European treaty that protects human rights and political freedoms in the continent.
His comments are an escalation of the government’s previous statements that leaving the ECHR was not an immediate step it was going to take. It has insisted it can deliver on Rishi Sunak’s pledge to “stop the boats” within the convention.
However, ahead of an election, the Conservatives could dial up their rhetoric against the ECHR in order to create a dividing line with Labour.
The government’s plan to send some migrants to Rwanda for processing of their asylum claims is still facing a supreme court battle. The first flight was stopped at the 11th hour in June last year after an appeal to the European court of human rights, which ensures the rights enshrined in the convention are upheld by its 47 signatory countries. It is separate to the EU, which the UK voted to leave in 2016.
Ahead of that, there are already calls from some within the Conservatives to withdraw from the ECHR. Suella Braverman, the home secretary, who is also a lawyer, has previously expressed a view that the UK should leave.
On Times Radio, Jenrick would not rule out withdrawal from the convention, saying the government would do “whatever is necessary”.
“You can see from the prime minister, the home secretary and myself, our total commitment to this challenge,” he said.
“That’s why we’re working on every possible front. That’s why we have produced the most comprehensive plan, I believe, of any European country to tackle this issue.
“And we’ll do whatever is necessary, ultimately, to defend our borders and to bring order to our asylum system.”
Pressed directly on whether that could include leaving the ECHR, he said: “We will do whatever is required, take whatever necessary action is needed.”
Jenrick gave his assessment as he announced the government had struck a deal with Turkey to focus on coordinated actions to “disrupt and dismantle” people-smuggling gangs.
On Tuesday night, the government announced the establishment of an operational “centre of excellence” by the Turkish national police and supported by the UK. The centre would aim to strengthen collaboration between the National Crime Agency and Home Office intelligence staff based in Turkey and their Turkish counterparts, the British government said.
Why is it so popular to ban immigrants? They’re just people, trying to escape an unfortunate situation that is not their choice, but how they were born. And even if they were taking people’s jobs (which they’re not), why is it just to discriminate against people on this characteristic they can’t control, the country they were born, when it is clearly perceived as unjust to discriminate on other charectiristics people can’t control, such as race, sex, or sexual orientation?
Racism.
Somehow, us Brits think that by sticking it to these needy people, our own lives will get better all the while the elites get to hoard all the wealth and live lives of luxury.
Of course it’s immigrants and their families wanting to escape a war/economic destruction we most likely meddled in that are causing all the issues over here, not the years of shit governance by the clowns that keep getting elected.
Dehumanising the needy and striping me of more of my rights is the new hotness right now.
Somehow, us Brits think that by sticking it to these needy people, our own lives will get better all the while the elites get to hoard all the wealth and live lives of luxury.
No, we don’t. Our politicians think they can fool us into thinking that. Just like they think they can fool us into getting behind fossil fuels again.
It’s an important difference and the next election will be a great demonstration of that.
Because if people would talkto immigrants they would realize they are just people and the big wigs are the ones continuously fucking over everyone.
I propose force immigration to bikini island for politicians and billionaires (and millionaires too)
Because colonialism, white supremacy, and so on 😓
Or how about we are only a small island that can not support the amount of people in the country as it is.
These people have passed through many EU countries they could and legally should have stayed in.
Only reason most want to come here is the frebbies government gives out. Yet someone who is born here needs help just to live gets less than the immigrants.
Complete nonsense.
Before Brexit, we were the 5th wealthiest nation in the world. Even now we’re still in the top ten. We can afford to feed and home our citizens and immigrants, but the government chooses not to.
In the UK there are a lot of single-issue voters and the conservatives always shift blame to one issue and one group. Immigrants have always been a scapegoat in their campaign.
Because the conservative party in the UK, much like the republican party in the US, knows that because of shifting demographics and because it has no real plan to address real problems they know they wont be able deny the existance of any longer, is about to start losing election after election. Instead of coming with actual plans and attempting to do anything with their power other than looting your pockets, they’ve decided to resort to the most basic and fascistic scapegoating by pandering to our tribalistic instincts. They just point to another group and blame them for all the problems they had a hand in creating.
“It’s not our fault, it’s those dirty _____!”
-liberals
-blacks
-immigrants
-gays
-jews
-trans people
-atheists
-muslims
-indians
-women(Pick one, or create your own scapegoat)
I’m an immigrant in the UK and the country keeps giving me more and more reasons to leave. It’s turned into an absolute xenophobic hellhole in the last few years.
It is shameful and embarrassing where we have ended up as a country. I really hope, for everyone’s sake in this country, that a new government can turn things around improving the quality of public discourse in the process. It’s a big ask.
I’m born in the UK, I’ve lived here most of my life. Even I want to leave
ECHR is not just for immigrants, right? I mean, if you leave ECHR, isn’t it a blanket policy which will also affect those in the UK iteself? Can’t get my head around this.
Yup.
And IIRC, it was the UK that came up with the ECHR in the first place.
Wouldn’t the Good Friday Agreement stop this from happening? The ECHR is incorporated into the law of Northern Ireland. I do hope they don’t muck it up again
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The fact that it might stop some immigration is a small bonus to the tories. Their goal for a while now has been to strip our rights so they can grab more power and money.
The sad part is, all the brain dead little bigots will be cheering them on, and not even noticing that they’re losing out.
The fact that it might stop some immigration is a small bonus to the tories. Their goal for a while now has been to strip our rights so they can grab more power and money.
The sad part is, all the brain dead little bigots will be cheering them on, and not even noticing that they’re losing out.
