Council of Europe Chief Rejects Calls to Make ECHR More Flexible on Immigration
The Council of Europe's secretary general, Alain Berset, has rejected calls from EU leaders to make the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) more flexible on immigration.
Nine EU countries signed an
On May 24, Berset said in a
The Council of Europe (CoE) was established in 1949 to promote democracy, protect human rights, and uphold the rule of law in Europe. It also monitors member states' progress in adhering to its human rights standards.
Its best-known convention is the ECHR. The European Court of Human Rights oversees how it is implemented.
The letter, organized by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, and co-signed by leaders such as Poland's Donald Tusk, said that the court 'posed too many limitations on the states' ability to decide whom to expel from their territories' in terms of the deportation of criminal foreign nationals.
Austria,
Belgium, the
Czech Republic,
Estonia,
Latvia, and
Lithuania also signed the letter
requesting 'a new and open minded conversation about the interpretation' of the ECHR.
The letter said the scope has extended 'too far as compared with the original intentions behind the Convention, thus shifting the balance between the interests which should be protected.'
Related Stories
5/2/2025
11/8/2024
Berset dismissed the letter and said that 'debate is healthy, but politicizing the Court is not.'
He said: 'Institutions that protect fundamental rights cannot bend to political cycles. If they do, we risk eroding the very stability they were built to ensure. The Court must not be weaponized—neither against governments, nor by them.'
Europe is hardening its
Illegal immigrants are entering the EU primarily via Mediterranean sea crossings from North Africa and by overland routes through Poland and the Balkans, according to data from Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.
Illegal crossings are usually arranged by organized criminal networks and smugglers.
Under pressure from parties with strong anti-illegal immigration platforms, establishment political parties have steadily abandoned their previous immigration stances and supported the reintroduction of
Under the EU's Pact on Migration and Asylum, member states are looking to strike agreements with non-EU states to handle asylum claims extraterritorially, potentially setting up processing centers in North Africa or beyond.
On
While no third countries have been chosen yet, in 2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
In April, Italy became the first EU state to successfully send illegal immigrants beyond the bloc's borders, after its first three attempts were blocked by national and European courts.
Meloni's
By adding Albania to its own safe third-country list and rebranding detention centers as 'repatriation hubs,' Italy bypassed a European Court of Justice ban.
On April 14, Italy sent 40 illegal immigrants to the Italian-run centers in Albania.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Bulgaria shows even citizens of small nations reject the euro
Bulgaria is slated to be the newest member of the Eurozone. The European Commission and European Central Bank (ECB) released statements today that effectively confirmed Bulgaria's adoption of the euro on January 1 2026. Bulgaria's entry extends the currency bloc from 20 to 21 members and builds on the nation's 2007 decision to abandon the lev as its official currency; the year it joined the EU. Bulgaria's adoption of the euro reflects its ability to overcome problematic economic indicators. Bulgaria was initially expected to become a Eurozone member in 2024, but its 9.5 per cent inflation rate scuppered these aspirations. Bulgaria's harmonisation with ECB policies is expected to lower its inflation rate to 1.8 per cent by 2026 and ensure its alignment with the EU's price stability criteria. Bulgaria's debt-to-GDP ratio has declined since 1998 and stands at just 24.1 per cent. While Bulgaria's ability to transcend demographic decline and political dysfunction to meet the EU's criteria appears inspiring, there is a darker side to the story. Bulgaria's adoption of the euro overrules public opinion and underscores the sovereignty concerns that the EU's smaller member states have about the bloc's supranational authority. Despite projections of a 5.8 per cent increase in Bulgaria's exports after it joins the euro, opposition to the common currency is fierce. A recent Eurobarometer survey revealed that 50 per cent of Bulgarians reject the euro and only 43 per cent are in favour of it. Bulgarian pensioners fear that pricing goods in euros will erode their life savings and their younger counterparts share their concerns about a loss of independence. Incoming Polish president Karol Nawrocki's sovereignty-based opposition to swapping the zloty for the euro resonates strongly in Bulgaria. The disconnect between elite decision-making and public opinion on the euro has threatened political cohesion by galvanising pro-Russian populist movements. Varazhdane Party leader Kostadin Kostadinov, who recently signed a cooperation agreement with president Vladimir Putin's United Russia Party, has capitalised on anti-euro sentiments and rallied thousands of like-minded Bulgarians on the streets of Sofia. As Bulgaria has had seven parliamentary elections since 2021 and lacks the ability to form a durably stable government, this dispute has serious destabilising potential. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the potential for anti-vaccination disinformation to spread widely in Bulgaria and the euro's adoption over the public's will could further erode trust. While EU officials celebrate Bulgaria's milestone acceptance of a common currency, the mood in Sofia is much more sombre and apprehensive. This is yet another reminder of the growing discontent between Brussels and the European street. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
an hour ago
The euro is about to get a new member, Bulgaria. What's the eurozone and how do countries join?
FRANKFURT, Germany -- European Union officials gave the green light Wednesday for Bulgaria to become the 21st member of the euro currency union,, a key EU project aimed at deepening the ties between member countries. The Balkan country of 6.4 million people is to make the switch from its national currency, the lev, to the euro on Jan. 1. Here are basic facts about the currency union, also called the eurozone, and how countries join it. The euro is a shared currency and monetary system launched in 1999 when 11 EU member countries irrevocably fixed their currencies to the euro as an accounting currency, then swapped out the national notes and coins in 2002. The EU established the European Central Bank to handle monetary policy and set interest rate benchmarks for member countries, similar to the role of the U.S. Federal Reserve in the U.S. Countries must meet four criteria: low inflation, keeping deficits and debt under control, low long-term interest rates and a stable exchange rate between their currency and the euro. Countries must go through a two-year 'waiting room' in which their currency does not fluctuate excessively against the euro. The process is meant to demonstrate that their economies are sustainably converging with that of the eurozone. Once the European Commission determines that requirements have been met, the member governments of the EU decide by what's called a qualified majority vote. Approval needs a minimum of 55% of member states representing at least 65% of the EU population. After joining, countries face rules limiting debt and deficits. Those rules are intended to keep countries from running large deficits that could undermine the euro. The European Commission ruled Wednesday that Bulgaria has met the requirements, seconded by an opinion from the ECB. The matter now goes to a vote at a meeting of EU finance ministers slated for July 8. EU officials say the vote is a done deal. Bulgaria is unusual in that it pegged its currency, the lev, to the euro right from the beginning of monetary union in 1999, even before it joined the European Union in 2007. Bulgaria also has very low levels of debt, only 24.1% of annual economic output. That is well below the 60% level set in the economic criteria for eurozone membership. The last step was getting inflation below the benchmark of 2.8%, or no more than 1.5% higher than the average of the three lowest eurozone members. There were concerns about the level of corruption and money laundering in the EU's poorest country. The commission and the ECB found however that Bulgaria has made progress in those areas. The most recent Eurobarometer poll carried out by the EU showed that 50% of Bulgarians were opposed and 43% in favor. Reasons include fears of inflation, distrust of official institutions in a country that has had seven governments in four years, and widespread misinformation on social media. The issue has been taken up by pro-Russian nationalist politicians who argue for keeping the national currency. President Rumen Radev stoked anti-euro forces with a proposal for a referendum, which was rejected by parliament. Misinformation included false claims that the euro would allow EU officials to confiscate dormant bank accounts or use a digital euro to control people. On Jan.1, only euros will be dispensed from cash machines, though both currencies will circulate in cash for a month. After that, lev notes can be exchanged at banks for 12 months and for an unlimited time at the Bulgarian national bank. In theory, the euro brings means lower interest rates for business and consumers and eases cross-border trade within the eurozone. Companies no longer have to engage in currency exchange transactions or worry that exchange rate shifts will erode their profits or holdings. Travelers no longer have to pay commissions at an exchange booth or on their credit card bill when vacationing or on a business trip to another EU country. Member countries get a seat on the ECB's rate-setting council and so have a voice in eurozone-wide monetary policy. Countries that join lose some authority over their own economy. They give up their ability set their own interest rates, and face restrictions on government spending and deficits, though those rules have proved flexible in practice. And they can no longer gain competitiveness relative to other countries by allowing their currency's exchange rate to devalue. Bitter memories remain of the debt and economic crisis that shook the eurozone in 2010-2015. After Greece admitted its deficit and debts were much larger than previously reported, it wound up defaulting on its debts and market turmoil spread to other eurozone countries. Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, and Cyprus were bailed out with loans by the other eurozone governments, in return for strict austerity measures that impacted many ordinary people including government workers and retirees. ECB President Mario Draghi is credited with defusing the eurozone crisis in 2012 by saying that the central bank would do 'whatever it takes' to save the euro. The ECB then said it could intervene in bond markets to support countries hit by turmoil, a safeguard that calmed markets even though it was never used. Later other backstops were added, including a eurozone bailout fund and moving banking oversight from sometimes-lax national supervisors to the ECB. Countries agree to join the euro as part of joining the EU, but not all have made the effort to meet the economic requirements. There is no time window to join. Denmark was granted an opt out, while Sweden rejected the euro in a 2003 referendum despite not having an opt out and has no target date to join. Other non-members are Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Romania. Officials in Poland, the biggest non-member, have shown little interest in joining despite acknowledging the obligation to join someday. The winner of Sunday's presidential election, Karol Nawrocki, campaigned on keeping the zloty currency. The country's economy has grown strongly without euro membership, doubling in size over the past two decades as its standard of living has almost caught up with Western Europe since emerging from communist rule in 1989.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
EU extends asylum protections for Ukrainian refugees, stressed as ‘temporary'
June 4 (UPI) -- The European Union's Internal Affairs and Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner spoke Wednesday in Brussels, Belgium to announce the EU has extended its deadline in regard to the unchallenged, but temporary, provision of asylum to displaced Ukrainians by an extra year. The EU had already put in action a decree that Ukrainians do not need to apply for asylum to enter EU member states, which was also rolled out to avoid potentially overwhelming national asylum systems. That decree, originally set to expire in March 2026, will now continue until March 2027. "Temporary protection was part of our commitment to Ukraine, an unprecedented measure to show solidarity with the millions of people uprooted by Russia's illegal aggression," Brunner said. He stressed that this protection is designed to be temporary, and that the EU has begun to create an exit strategy to send displaced people back to Ukraine "once they are able to, or when temporary protection ends." The EU also proclaimed it has added more than $4.5 billion in funds related to migration and asylum in addition to the over $17 billion provided to member states who are involved with those who seek asylum. "After all, hosting 4.3 million people creates challenges, and some member states have been under particular pressure," Brunner said. He further explained that should Russia's war on Ukraine end before the 2027 deadline, the temporary protection could also end earlier than that point. As for Ukrainians now located in EU countries, they are welcome to apply for work and student visas. Ukrainians are also allowed to return to their home country now, as it is facing worker shortages, so EU member states will provide what Brunner describes as "go-and-see" visits in order to explore if a return to Ukraine is workable, then come back to the EU member country if need be. "As Russia's attacks against Ukraine intensify, we will extend protection for another year, while also preparing for various scenarios to support Ukrainians' decision to remain or return," Brunner later posted Wednesday to X that. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Chernyshov also publicly spoke with Brunner in Brussels, and later posted to social media Wednesday that, in conjunction with its international partners "we are also developing mechanisms for the voluntary return of Ukrainians. Our goal is to jointly create the conditions for Ukrainians to return home safely, with dignity, and at the right time."
