Keir Starmer urged to suspend ECHR and deport thousands of migrants

Sir Keir Starmer has been told to "get a grip" on migration levels by suspending the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Former Labour education secretary Lord Blunkett said the move would facilitate the deportation of thousands of rejected asylum seekers currently in hotels. He urged ministers to consider the "radical" approach, pointing to Germany as an example of where it has worked previously.

Lord Blunkett told BBC Radio 4: "I think we are going to have to look at not necessarily pulling out of the ECHR or 1951 UN [Refugee] Convention but perhaps temporarily suspending particular elements of it until we can actually get a grip. That would mean changing the appeal process because a lot of people who are stuck in accommodation at the moment have gone through the initial process, been rejected and the legal process allows them to appeal again and again.

"The Germans have done it, but only for three months. We may have to do it for six months in order to get a grip, to ensure the appeals process is not abused and to help the Government accelerate still further the number of people that are returning to their country of origin and getting them out of the country."

There are currently some 200 hotels being used to house more than 32,000 asylum seekers. In total, over 50,000 migrants have appealed their rejected claims for asylum - double the number last year.

A common reason for appealing the Home Office's decision is that it breaches the person's rights under the ECHR.

Articles three and eight of the convention protect the right to a family life and protection against persecution if people are returned to their home country.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has put forward measures to restrict the number of times judges are allowed to apply articles three and eight, and their ability to reject appeals against deportation.

On the other side, Kemi Badenoch commissioned a review into leaving the ECHR altogether, the plans for which are expected to be revealed at the Tory party conference later this year.

Lord Blunkett also said the UK should get France to introduce a licencising scheme prohibiting people from buying, transporting, or selling a boat without being registers.

He said this would allow police to seize dinghies by raiding warehouses, and intercept and confiscate them before they are able to take migrants across the Channel.

So far this year, nearly 28,000 migrants have crossed the Channel, marking the highest number at this point in a year since 2018.