The Guardian View on ECHR Reform: Times Change but Universal Values Need Defending
An editorial published on 10 December 2025 emphasizes the need to defend universal humanitarian values amid changing migration patterns. It highlights Sir Keir Starmer's argument that population flows in 2025 differ from those 75 years ago, and governments must adapt to secure refugee rights. Starmer warns against demagogues who seek to dismantle asylum provisions. The editorial flags the risk that proposals to "modernise" the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) interpretations of torture and family life could echo populist logic and weaken protections.
The piece notes that some voices claim current protections are too loose and exploited by economic migrants to bypass border controls, advocating for easier deportations in such cases. It points out that asylum claims have risen due to globalization, and the line between economic and humanitarian flight has long been blurred; crossing borders in the 1950s was more difficult. The editorial describes a rhetorical tactic that portrays genuine refugees as rare while branding many others as illegitimate, often using illegal entry to vilify Channel crossings.
Labour's policy includes providing open, safer legal routes on a modest scale, while maintaining tougher border controls as central to their approach. The editorial urges Starmer to mount a principled defense of rights rather than rely on public discontent, stressing that immutable humanitarian values must be steadfastly defended.
