EU Leaders Call for Human Rights Reinterpretation on Migration

In a bid to address irregular migration more effectively, leaders from nine European Union countries are advocating for a reinterpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights. They believe the current interpretations limit governmental flexibility in deporting migrants who have committed crimes. This stance was detailed in an open letter made public in Rome on Thursday.

The letter, signed by leaders from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, criticizes the European Court of Human Rights for its handling of cases concerning the expulsion of criminal foreign nationals. It argues that the court's decisions have been overly protective and have placed unnecessary constraints on national authorities.

Despite a 27% decrease in irregular border crossings into the EU this year, the leaders argue that the issue remains significant. They point out that although unauthorized migration figures have varied, they are not as high as during the 2015 refugee crisis, which saw over a million arrivals, primarily due to the Syrian civil war.

(With inputs from agencies.)