Euro leaders dash Rishi Sunak’s hopes of an end to last-minute European court action to block Rwanda flights saying Icelandic summit he is attending will ‘focus’ on Ukraine and AI instead of immigration
- PM will use talks with judge Siofra O’Leary to push for reforms to Rule 39 orders
Rishi Sunak’s hopes of getting Europe to take immigration reform seriously appeared to be dashed today as the host of a summit in Iceland said it was not a priority for discussion.
The Prime Minister is to push for reforms to the way the European Court of Human Rights works when he meets ECHR president Siofra O’Leary at a Council of Europe meeting in Reykjavik.
The Government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda was blocked last year by a ‘Rule 39’ order from a judge at the Strasbourg-based court.
This saw the first of Britain’s scheduled deportation flights to the African country abandoned following the 11th-hour ruling in June.
Mr Sunak, in his discussions with Justice O’Leary in the Icelandic capital, will press for reforms to last-ditch Rule 39 orders.
But Iceland’s foreign affairs minister Thordis Kolbrun Gylfadottir suggested migration issues will not be top of the agenda at the gathering.
She told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme: ‘The biggest focus is of course Ukraine, and then other issues such as AI and environment and other things. So this summit doesn’t have a big focus on migration in general.
Rishi Sunak will meet with the head of the European Court of Human Rights to demand an overhaul of Strasbourg judges’ last-minute rulings
The Government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda was blocked last year by a ‘Rule 39’ order from a judge at the Strasbourg-based court
Priti Patel, who was then home secretary, signed a migration deal with Rwanda in April last year – but no asylum seekers have yet been sent to the African country
‘But I agree that that is an issue for Europe. And of course, that system has to develop with the challenges that we face.’
Asked whether Iceland and other European nations will consider an overhaul of the ECHR’s Rule 39 orders, Ms Gylfadottir said: ‘I believe that there will be a discussion on it, but there will not be I think a real concrete outcome on reforming certain articles.’
Speaking to broadcasters this evening, Mr Sunak said he would push for Strasbourg to conduct itself in a way that is ‘fair, transparent and effective’.
The PM will argue sovereign countries should not be stopped from taking measures to tackle domestic challenges by international judges.
It comes as Mr Sunak is trying to stave off pressure from Tory MPs to withdraw Britain from the ECHR completely.
He recently bowed to Conservative backbenchers’ demands by unveiling planned laws to allow the UK to sidestep Strasbourg judges’ interim rulings.
But it has been suggested the PM wants to agree reforms with the ECHR so ministers never have to use the controversial powers.
Downing Street said Mr Sunak wants to see an overhaul to the ECHR’s Rule 39 process to provide proper transparency, greater accountability and to ensure decisions can be reconsidered.
The PM will use his address to leaders at the Council of Europe summit tonight to call for greater efforts to tackle illegal migration.
Mr Sunak has vowed to ‘stop the boats’ to end the Channel migrant crisis and is seeking greater cooperation between European capitals and institutions.
He will also hold a series of one-on-one meetings with other national leaders, as well as EU chiefs.
The Council of Europe, of which 46 countries are now members, was established after the Second World War to uphold democracy and freedom across the continent.
Mr Sunak will stress that measures taken by individual countries to address illegal immigration – such as his planned overhaul of Britain’s asylum rules – must go hand-in-hand with international cooperation to establish a global asylum system ‘fit for purpose’.
The PM said ahead of the summit: ‘Every single point on each route used by people traffickers to smuggle people across our continent represents another community struggling to deal with the human cost of this barbaric enterprise.
‘It is very clear that our current international system is not working, and our communities and the world’s most vulnerable people are paying the price.
‘We need to do more to cooperate across borders and across jurisdictions to end illegal migration and stop the boats.
‘I am clear that as an active European nation with a proud history helping those in need, the UK will be at the heart of this.’
