Britain, under pressure on immigration, urges reform of European human rights framework

By Sam Tabahriti

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain called on Wednesday for reform of the European Convention on Human Rights, amid growing domestic criticism that it allows a foreign-based court to meddle in sensitive areas of policy such as immigration and deportation rulings.

The convention, which dates back more than 70 years and aims to protect human rights and political freedoms in Europe, must "evolve" to reflect changing political realities, justice minister Shabana Mahmood said.

Britain's Labour government has criticised the way the convention is interpreted in immigration cases, where its provisions have been used to try to prevent the deportation of migrants - some of whom have been convicted of serious crimes.

"It damages the public perception of human rights altogether," Mahmood told a meeting of the Committee of Ministers, the decision-making arm of the Council of Europe, which oversees implementation of the convention.

The convention applies to the 46 member states of the Council of Europe and can be enforced by binding rulings from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), based in the French city of Strasbourg.

While Britain has left the European Union, it remains a member of the Council of Europe and of the ECHR.

Labour has already promised to clarify how the convention should be interpreted by domestic judges, but Mahmood used her speech to urge wider reform of the human rights framework.

"The European Convention on Human Rights is one of the great achievements of post-war politics. It has endured because it has evolved. Now, it must do so again," she said.

The Council of Europe did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Mahmood's remarks.

OTHERS ALSO SEEKING REFORM

Britain is not alone in seeking reform.

Nine European countries, spearheaded by Italy and Denmark, urged the Council last month to ease the process of expelling foreign criminals.

Secretary General Alain Berset, the head of the Council, criticised that initiative, saying on May 24: "The court must not be weaponised — neither against governments, nor by them."

Britain's nearly one-year-old Labour government has seen its popularity slide partly due to public concerns over immigration and needs to show it can deport foreign criminals and migrants who have arrived illegally.

Labour is committed to remaining in the convention but Nigel Farage's Reform UK, a right-wing party now topping national opinion polls, has said it would immediately withdraw if it won power.

The Conservative Party, the biggest opposition party in parliament, has said it is reviewing its policy on Britain's continued membership.

(Reporting by Sam TabahritiEditing by William James and Gareth Jones)