The UK may face increasing pressure to tighten its immigration laws in response to the European Union’s plan to deport failed asylum seekers and criminals. The EU is proposing a significant overhaul of the 1951 Refugee Convention, which currently prevents the return of asylum seekers to countries where their life or freedom could be threatened.
A paper drafted by Poland, which was seen by The Times, suggests that such legal changes “could also stimulate discussion of the issue internationally,” potentially prompting the UK to reconsider its immigration policies. Angela Sharma, a specialist immigration barrister at Church Court Chambers, noted that if the EU successfully modifies its interpretation of human rights protections regarding deportations, the UK government may be pressured to align with these reforms or introduce even stricter immigration laws.”
Sharma explained: “If the EU successfully modifies its interpretation of human rights protections related to deportations, the UK government may come under pressure to either align with EU reforms or introduce stricter immigration laws.” She added that, in practical terms, this would require the UK government to review the country’s existing migration policies to facilitate the deportation of individuals who were previously removed from the EU. Additionally, there would be a need to establish faster deportation processes for such individuals, according to the Express.
The proposed changes discussed by EU interior ministers last week would expedite the deportation of failed asylum seekers and migrants involved in criminal activities. The 1951 Refugee Convention, signed after World War II, was created in a “very different geopolitical situation” than the one currently faced by member states, the paper noted.
It continued: “Member state societies’ ability to host large numbers of migrants is increasingly being put to the test, especially in situations where some migrants do not seek to integrate into the host society but instead to form separate communities in which norms and rules that deviate from European values may be cultivated.”
Migration remains a contentious issue both in the UK and the EU, with the bloc seeing a rise in anti-immigration policies. In the UK, Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer recently came under fire for not including immigration reform in his “plan for change.” Should this stance change, Sharma explained, Starmer might need to engage in negotiations with the EU.
Sharma concluded: “The UK may need to negotiate new agreements with the EU to ensure that failed asylum seekers are returned to the European country they transited through, rather than remaining in the UK. This could also lead to closer border security cooperation with EU nations such as France to curb illegal migration. While such cooperation could strengthen UK-EU ties, it would come at a cost.”
As the EU seeks to tighten asylum and appeals processes, the UK faces a critical decision: whether to align with EU reforms or pursue an independent approach to deportation policies.
