UK backs European declaration to speed illegal migration removals

The UK and other European countries have signed a declaration in Moldova calling for courts to give states more leeway in migration cases, in a move aimed at making deportations easier.

The agreement was unveiled at a summit in Moldova on Friday and urges the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg to leave most migration cases to member states.

It says European countries face pressures that were either changed significantly or unforeseen when the human rights convention was drafted.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper described the deal as a "common-sense approach" and said she wanted to ensure systems "can't be unfairly gamed".

The declaration says states have the "undeniable sovereign right" to set immigration policy and remove foreign nationals in the public interest.

The document is a political signal rather than a rewrite of the European Convention on Human Rights, which would take years to change.

It asks judges to give greater weight to public interest and democracy when deciding migration cases.

The declaration also links migration pressure to people smuggling, saying the phenomenon risks undermining support for the convention system.

It says countries including the UK should be able to pursue deals with other countries, including possible "return hubs" beyond Europe.

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