EU leaders push stricter migration rules amid warnings of weakened human rights safeguards

European leaders on Wednesday signalled a coordinated move towards tougher migration controls, a shift critics say reflects growing pressure from far-right groups and risks undermining long-standing protections for vulnerable migrants and asylum-seekers.

In Brussels, ministers from all 27 EU member states convened to discuss strategies against migrant smuggling, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivering the keynote address.

Simultaneously in Strasbourg, representatives of the Council of Europe — a 46-nation human rights body that includes non-EU countries from Iceland to Azerbaijan — prepared to debate changes that would make deportations easier for treaty signatories.

Push to limit court scrutiny

The debate follows renewed attempts by several European governments to dilute the influence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the Council of Europe’s independent judicial arm. Last year, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland backed a proposal arguing that the court’s interpretation of rights obligations constrained their ability to expel migrants, including those convicted of crimes. The initiative failed at the time but has since gained political traction.

Set up after the Second World War to anchor Europe’s democratic and human rights framework, the ECHR frequently hears cases involving migrants and asylum-seekers challenging expulsions or alleging violations of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Political centre shifts on migration

Centrist and left-leaning parties across Europe have increasingly hardened their tone on migration as far-right parties gain ground by mobilising anger over immigration levels. The political shift was evident in an op-ed published on Tuesday in The Guardian by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who argued for stricter controls designed to deter economic migrants.

“For decades, citizens in our countries have demanded action. So we are acting — not to exploit these issues and stoke grievances as some do, but to find real solutions,” they wrote. “The best way of fighting against the forces of hate and division is to show that mainstream, progressive politics can fix this problem.”

Migrant arrivals fall, but pressures persist

Irregular border crossings into the EU fell sharply this year. According to Frontex, the bloc’s border agency, unauthorised entries dropped 22 per cent between January and October, with 152,000 crossings recorded. Most people migrating to Europe, the agency noted, do so legally by air, though some later overstay their visas.

Despite the rhetoric on deterrence, European economies grappling with labour shortages and ageing populations are increasingly dependent on migrant workers. Many governments have expanded recruitment and training programmes to attract foreign labour, even as they invest heavily in policies aimed at blocking irregular arrivals — including funding countries in Africa and the Middle East to intercept boats headed for Europe.

Human rights body warns against rollback

Ahead of the Strasbourg debate, Council of Europe secretary-general Alain Berset cautioned that easing deportation rules should not come at the cost of core human rights commitments.

The European Convention on Human Rights, he said, is “the final safeguard of individual rights and freedoms across our continent”.

“The convention’s future and Europe’s direction are inseparable,” Berset warned, urging member states to balance migration management with their obligations under international law.

The twin meetings in Brussels and Strasbourg underscore Europe’s growing divide: governments seeking more control over migration flows on one hand, and institutions charged with protecting individual rights on the other. How the negotiations unfold could influence not just border policies but the continent’s broader human rights architecture in the years ahead.