New Deportation Crisis Erupts—Starmer Blasted for ‘Hollow Words’ as ECHR Clash Sparks Public Fury
The Government’s latest promise to stop foreign s*x offenders from claiming asylum in the UK is already facing heavy backlash, with critics warning it won’t do what it says on the tin. Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he’s taking steps to “change the system”, but experts and MPS are lining up to say the move is more show than substance.
The backlash began almost immediately after Labour’s Monday announcement, with Conservative MP Chris Philp branding the move “deeply dishonest”. He claims Starmer’s plan won’t stop foreign criminals from staying in Britain, because they can still rely on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), specifically Article 3, which protects people from torture or inhuman treatment. That protection, Philp said, overrides refugee law and gives offenders another route to stay put. “Foreign criminals will just use ECHR Article 3 instead,” he said, reported the Express.
What’s got everyone riled up is that while the Home Office says it’ll now block refugee status for anyone convicted of a s*x offence — regardless of sentence length — legal experts say that doesn’t mean they’ll actually be removed. Deportation appeals can still be filed under human rights law, meaning Article 3 and Article 8 (the right to a family life) remain powerful tools to avoid removal.
It’s all coming to a head after the shocking case of Abdul Ezedi, the man behind the Clapham chemical attack. He was granted asylum in 2018 despite a suspended sentence for s*x offences, and later launched a horrific attack on his ex-partner and her children. That case fuelled public anger and prompted this crackdown, but many say the changes won’t prevent another Ezedi.
Yvette Cooper, the current Home Secretary, admits there are serious legal hurdles to overcome. She told BBC Radio 4 that “too much has been left to ad-hoc decisions by the courts” and that she wants a stronger framework through Parliament to stop these rulings from undermining public safety. She’s leading a review into how Article 8 is applied and said it’s “possible to change the way” these laws are being interpreted in court.
Still, even she conceded there’s no guarantee these new plans will work as intended. Speaking on Times Radio, she admitted offenders may still “put other obstacles in the way” to avoid removal and that human rights claims are often tricky to override.
Former adviser Rajiv Shah was even more blunt, calling the announcement “totally ineffective”. He warned that as long as the ECHR is in place, the government’s hands are tied — and that serious criminals will continue to game the system.
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