Sir Keir Starmer has come under pressure from former Labour Home Secretary Jack Straw, who argues that the UK should “decouple” its laws from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to make deporting illegal migrants easier.

Straw claims human rights legislation is being “misused” to block deportations, even in cases involving foreign criminals citing family rights under Article 8.

In response, Cabinet Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds defended the ECHR, saying it plays a vital role in maintaining international cooperation—especially against people smugglers—and warned that withdrawal could align the UK with countries like Russia and Belarus.

The debate unfolds amid intense political pressure on Starmer, with Labour MPs urging tougher immigration action as asylum claims surge and Reform UK gains ground by calling for radical solutions, including a mass deportation scheme and withdrawal from the ECHR.

Meanwhile, the government is moving forward with reforms to speed up deportations by replacing judicial appeals with a specialist commission, and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is reviewing the application of Article 8 to prevent further misuse in immigration cases.