As 27 European countries urge changes to laws forged after second world war, human rights chief says politicians are playing into hands of populists
T
he battle had been brewing for months. But this week it came to a head in a flurry of meetings, calls and one heady statement. Twenty-seven European countries urged a rethink of the human rights laws forged after the second world war, describing them as an impediment when it came to addressing migration.
Amnesty International has called it “a moral retreat”. Europe’s most senior human rights official said the approach risked creating a “hierarchy of people” where some are seen as more deserving of protection than others.
The roots of the clash can be traced back to May, when nine EU states, including Denmark, Italy and Poland, published a letter arguing that the European convention on human rights was hindering their ability to exert sovereignty over their states and deport people who committed crimes. “We have to restore the right balance,” the letter noted. “What was once right might not be the answer of tomorrow.”
