Nine EU countries want a new interpretation of the Human Rights Convention-Diepresse.com
In a letter, Austria, Italy, Denmark and six other countries, require to be able to deport foreign foreigners more easily.
The initiative assumed Italy and Denmark-but also Austria’s Federal Chancellor, Christian Stocker (ÖVP), signed the letter: In an open letter, nine EU countries require a reinterpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to simplify the expulsion of foreign criminals. « We should have more scope at the national level to decide when we are deporting criminal foreigners. We have to restore the right balance, » it says. Cases of severe violent crimes or drug crime are mentioned.
In many cases, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is « too far » to do the convention, the signatories argue. « We want to open a political debate about decades -old European conventions to address the big problems of our time, first of all migration, » said Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, on a visit to the Danish head of government, Mette Frederiksen, on Thursday evening in Rome. Other signatories of the letter are Belgium, the Czech Republic, Poland and the Baltic States alongside Austria.
« We have to take effective measures against enemy states that try to use our values and rights against us through the instrumentalization of migrants, » it says. In some cases, the interpretation of the ECHR has restricted the ability to protect democratic societies and the population from today’s challenges, emphasize the signatories. « We believe that the majority of the European population is behind this initiative. »
« Innovative solutions »
The Federal Chancellery said that the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) was a major pillar of the rule of law and was even in the constitutional point in Austria. Austria is one of the strongest supporters of international law, the rule of law and international jurisdiction. Neither the importance of human rights nor the independence and authority of the ECHR would be questioned.
The initiative is about adequately countering the challenges of our time and thinking innovative solutions, especially when it comes to deporting criminal migrants. Citizens in Europe would rightly expect solutions. In the rule of law and stable democracies, it must be possible to have such a discussion. The interpretation of convention law in the area of migration must be adapted to the challenges and conditions of the 21st century. The legal obstacles to deportations of migrants who had committed serious crimes cannot be explained. (Red./Ag.)
