Overview

• Former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind reversed his long-held position in a letter to The Times, calling withdrawal from the ECHR the only way to confront what he describes as an escalating migration crisis.
• Rifkind argues that Strasbourg judgments have prolonged asylum appeals and obstructed efforts to remove foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes.
• His call aligns with pressure from senior Labour figures Jack Straw and Lord Blunkett, alongside Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, for suspension or withdrawal from the convention.
• Downing Street maintains the UK should remain a signatory and seek changes to how the convention is interpreted rather than quit.
• EU relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds says departure would make securing the international cooperation needed to curb illegal migration significantly harder, while legal experts warn of risks to the Good Friday Agreement and UK–EU security arrangements.