U.K. Eyes Changes To Visa System And Targets Human Rights Convention
The government of the United Kingdom has announced its intention to put pressure on foreign governments to cooperate more on irregular migration to the U.K., by tying visa cooperation to the issue. At the same time, the government also has called for reforms to the European Convention on Human Rights over migration, echoing calls earlier from various European governments. Taken together, the two steps represent a further sharpening of government policy and rhetoric over the issue of migration.
The U.K.'s Labour government, since coming to power in July 2024, has made migration one of the most prominent issues, apparently in response to pressure from more right-wing parties such as Reform UK, who want to see migration reduced overall.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was elected on a platform including reducing irregular migration to the U.K., announced he was looking to a more 'transactional' approach to visa arrangements with other countries. His comments suggest he is exploring ways of pressuring foreign governments, particularly in countries whose citizens try to reach the U.K. for shelter, to better cooperate on the issue. This could look like, for instance, countries allowing Britain to deport more of their citizens back to their territories - something many countries are unwilling to accept if the person is not returned willingly.
Such 'visa' diplomacy is echoed in recent news that the European Union intends to modify its own system, to suspend or revoke the visa-free travel citizens of certain countries enjoy, if there is a sudden increase in asylum applications from those countries, among other reasons. It is also in keeping with Prime Minister Starmer's championing of recent increases in deportations from the U.K., and his stated desire to establish extra-territorial receptions centers for deportees, known as 'return hubs.'
At the same time, the government has called for reforms to be made to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), to which the country is a signatory. One of the most important, if not the most important, mechanism for protecting human rights in Europe, the ECHR has come in for much criticism in recent years as it has often been seen to stay the hands of European governments looking to deport people without full due process.
With this, the U.K. joins nine European countries, including Denmark, Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic, who signed an open letter calling for similar reforms. Such calls have been condemned by various civil society groups and migration NGOs, who accuse the signatories of attempting to erode fundamental rights safeguards on the continent.
Likewise, Enver Solomon, head of the U.K.'s refugee council, has criticized the U.K. government's targeting of the ECHR, arguing that the government should instead focus on making the asylum system more efficient, rather than attempting to evade its human rights responsibilities.
The number of people crossing the U.K. channel has increased 20% since Labour came to office, compared to the same time period the year before. At the same time, government statistics show that overall migration - including people with a valid visa - fell dramatically in 2024.
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