European countries decided on Wednesday to take into consideration amendments that rights campaigners claim will diminish the safeguards for migrants that have been the cornerstone of European law since World War II, as enthusiasm for immigration declines globally.
Despite the fact that illegal border crossings are actually down, mainstream political parties throughout Europe have implemented stricter immigration policies in an effort to slow the momentum of far-right politicians taking advantage of immigration-related unrest.
Alain Berset, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, told reporters following talks in Strasbourg, France, that members of the 46 nations that comprise the council acknowledged the “challenges” presented by migration while reiterating their respect for the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights.
The 75-year-old convention is a “living instrument,” according to Berset. Nations acknowledged their obligation to “safeguard national important interests such as security” while reiterating their commitment to the rights and freedoms outlined in the agreement.
Italy, Denmark, and the United Kingdom are among the member nations that have been increasingly critical of the convention and the court that hears complaints against the council. They contend that their ability to combat illegal immigration and deport criminals is too constrained.
According to Berset, the 46 nations’ ministers will now start discussing a new proposal to discourage people smuggling as well as a political declaration on migration that will be approved in May.
In order to further democracy and peace after World War II, the council—which is not an entity of the European Union—was established.
Growing agreement on a different view
After nine countries signed a letter last year seeking to limit the authority of the court, the council’s independent legal arm, discussions on the necessity of reforming or reinterpreting the convention as it applies to migrants got underway.
The group of countries said that they were unable to maintain their countries secure and remove criminals due to the court’s interpretation of rights and responsibilities. At the time, Berset maintained the court’s independence, but demand for a more assertive position has only increased.
27 countries signed a separate statement on Wednesday urging a less stringent reading of the statute, reflecting the points made last year, while Berset attempted to minimize the split.
It stated that “the important public objectives of safeguarding freedom and security in our society must be balanced with the individual rights and interests of migrants.”
According to Andrew Forde, co-founder of the AGORA group of scholars, researchers, and attorneys, Wednesday’s findings and the statement endorsed by two-thirds of the members made it abundantly evident that most governments favored a more conservative interpretation of the convention based on political interest.
According to Forde, a former council employee, “member states have identified a specific category of persons that they wish to offer lower rights protection to for the first time in the Council of Europe’s history.”
In the meanwhile, the prime ministers of Denmark and the United Kingdom wrote an opinion piece in the Guardian newspaper on Tuesday advocating for stricter immigration regulations to prevent access to those who are not fleeing violence but rather are looking for better economic opportunities.
Mette Frederiksen and Keir Starmer argued, “The greatest approach to fight against the forces of hatred and division is to show that mainstream, progressive politics can address this problem.”
The EU promises to take action against smugglers
In a separate speech to ministers from the EU’s 27 member states in Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised to disrupt smuggling networks that smuggle individuals into the bloc illegally.
“We have a straightforward objective. During a celebration of the second anniversary of the EU-led Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling, von der Leyen declared, “We aim to ruin their companies using all methods possible.”
Frontex, the EU’s border and coast guard agency, reports that irregular border crossings into the EU decreased by 22% between January and October of this year compared to the same time last year, despite the fact that migration is a top political priority. In the first ten months of the year, the government reported 152,000 illegal border crossings.
A large number of migrants enter Europe on visas that they later overstay, yet the majority of migration is legitimate.
In an effort to discourage illegal migration, the EU has paid nations in the Middle East and Africa billions of euros (dollars) to stop people attempting to cross the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
Simultaneously, European countries dealing with labor shortages and aging populations have been funding initiatives to recruit and educate immigrant workers.
