The newly appointed head of Britain's equalities watchdog has issued a stark warning that the 'demonisation' of migrants is making life 'very, very difficult' not only for new arrivals but also for established ethnic minority UK citizens. Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), also cautioned it would be a 'mistake' for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Rhetoric Risks and Human Rights Warnings
In an interview with the Press Association, Dr Stephenson stressed the need for honesty in discussions about human rights. She argued that creating a narrative where migration is seen as a major national risk has damaging real-world consequences. 'The demonisation of migrants... can make the lives not just of migrants to the UK, but of ethnic minority UK citizens, very, very difficult,' she stated. Her comments come after nearly 250 refugee charities condemned last August's anti-migrant violence and called for an end to 'demonising language'.
Defending the ECHR Against 'Misleading' Cases
Dr Stephenson hit out at what she described as a 'real risk' of people misusing court cases where human rights arguments were raised but ultimately failed. She pointed to University of Oxford research from earlier this year that highlighted several examples of misleading media coverage. One prominent case was the so-called 'chicken nuggets' deportation story, which was widely reported as a decision based on a child's dislike of foreign food. Dr Stephenson noted this detail was not the basis of the ruling and the decision had already been overturned.
She also emphasised the ECHR's positive role in UK justice, citing the John Worboys black cab rapist case. In that instance, the Supreme Court used the Convention to rule that police could be held liable for serious failures in their investigations.
Political Pressure and Treaty Reform
The future of the UK's relationship with the ECHR remains a live political issue. Both the Conservative Party and Reform UK have advocated leaving the treaty, arguing it hampers efforts to deport illegal migrants. While the current government has rejected calls for withdrawal, ministers are reviewing human rights law to simplify the deportation of individuals with no right to remain.
On the international stage, Council of Europe secretary general Alain Berset said recently that member states had taken an 'important first step' by agreeing to examine reforms to the treaty to address migration challenges. He described the ECHR as a 'living instrument' that could adapt, with work on a new political declaration set to begin in Moldova in May 2026. This follows earlier calls from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer for European leaders to re-examine the treaty's interpretation to tackle illegal migration and counter the rise of the far-right.
