Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced plans to limit how migrants use the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to prevent their deportation from the UK.
He said the government would re-examine how Articles 3 and 8 of the ECHR are interpreted, particularly in cases involving foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers.
Article 3 protects against torture and inhumane treatment, while Article 8 guarantees the right to family life. Starmer pointed to cases where these provisions have been used to avoid deportation, including a Brazilian paedophile who argued he would face worse prison conditions in Brazil than in the UK.
“There’s a difference between being deported to face execution and being sent somewhere with lower prison standards,” Starmer told the media.
He argued that existing laws should reflect current migration challenges, but insisted that reforming interpretation could be done not withdrawing from the ECHR was the right approach.
The Prime Minister’s position contrasts with the stance of Reform UK and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, both of whom have vowed to pull the UK out of the ECHR to enable mass deportations.
The Home Office is already reviewing how the ECHR is applied in immigration cases, following a white paper in May that proposed clarifying the right to family life.
Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, said international conventions such as those on refugees, torture, and child rights may also need reassessment. He maintained that genuine asylum seekers would still receive protection, but emphasized the need for fair and enforceable immigration rules.
