The Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever (Flemish nationalist) and 8 EU leaders say that they want more leeway to act against illegal immigration and crime in their respective countries. In a joint letter, they call for a debate on the interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), arguing that current legal constraints hinder national governments from taking measures to address these issues.
Belgium among EU countries calling for greater powers to deport criminal migrants
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Mr De Wever participated in a meeting of so-called "migration-realistic countries" ahead of the European summit in March. The "migration-realistic countries” advocate for a fast overhaul of EU migration rules to make them stricter.
The idea for the letter emerged during last week’s meeting of the European Political Community in Albania, where Italy and Denmark proposed drafting a common position to address legal and political barriers in tackling illegal migration and criminality. Following consultations with his coalition colleagues, Mr De Wever agreed to co-sign the letter.
The letter reads "We are leaders of countries that hold human rights in high regard (...). However, we also consider it necessary to start a discussion on how international treaties fit in with the challenges we face. The world has fundamentally changed since many of our ideas emerged from the ashes of the World Wars. These ideas are universal and enduring. But today, we live in a globalised world where people cross borders on a completely different scale."
A fine balance
The signatories express concern about migrants who "do not contribute positively to the communities that host them and choose to commit crimes". While many EU countries have already tightened their policies on illegal migration, they argue that legal and institutional barriers continue to impede them from taking effective action.
More specifically, they point to the interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights by the European Court of Human Rights. The say that this "has limited our ability to take political decisions in our own democracies."
While affirming the enduring relevance of the Convention’s principles, the letter calls for a reassessment of how to balance these rights with public safety and national sovereignty.
Greater autonomy
The leaders are asking for more autonomy in deciding when to deport migrants involved in criminal activity, particularly in cases involving serious or drug-related crimes.
They also want greater discretion in managing cases where criminals cannot be expelled, as well as "effective measures" to counter "hostile states that use our values and rights against us, for example, by instrumentalising migrants at our borders".
In addition to Mr De Wever, the letter was signed by Mette Frederiksen of Denmark, Giorgia Meloni of Italy, Christian Stocker of Austria, Petr Fiala of Czechia, Kristen Michal of Estonia, Erika Silina of Latvia, Gitanas Nauseda of Lithuania and Donald Tusk of Poland.