Suffolk County Council deputy leader calls for UK to leave European Convention on Human Rights
The Reform councillor made the call opposing government proposals to use former RAF Barnham to accommodate people seeking asylum
The Deputy Leader of Suffolk County Council has called for the UK to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights as part of changes he wants to see to the country's asylum system.
Reform UK councillor Philip Faircloth-Mutton said he wants the Government to change domestic legislation alongside leaving the convention, arguing this would allow more asylum seekers who have entered the UK through irregular routes to be removed.
His comments came during an interview about proposals to use the former RAF Barnham site in Suffolk as accommodation for people seeking asylum.
The Home Office is considering using the former military site to accommodate single adult male asylum seekers aged between 18 and 65.
No final decision has been made on its use. The Government has submitted an Urgent Crown Development application, but says the proposal remains subject to the planning process, wider due diligence and other assessments and approvals.
'I would like to see the Government advance legislation'
Councillor Faircloth-Mutton, who is also Suffolk County Council's Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Deputy Leader of its Reform UK group, was asked what alternative he wanted to see to accommodating asylum seekers at RAF Barnham. His current roles and Reform UK membership are confirmed by the county council. Suffolk Council
He said:
"I would like to see the government advance legislation to withdraw the United Kingdom from the European Convention on Human Rights to amend domestic legislation that allows us to deport asylum seekers who are in the country through irregular means."
He said he believed returning people to their countries of origin was the "fairest, most proportionate approach", arguing it would respect the rule of law and address financial concerns.
An asylum seeker's eligibility to remain in the UK is not determined simply by whether they arrived through an irregular route. The Home Office says people with a valid pending asylum claim are permitted to remain while that claim is processed and cannot routinely be detained during that period.
What is the European Convention on Human Rights?
The European Convention on Human Rights is an international treaty setting out rights and freedoms protected in its member states.
During the interview, Councillor Faircloth-Mutton argued that leaving the ECHR would not mean people in the UK were left without human rights protections.
He pointed to the UK's legal history, including common law, Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights, and said the country should have a "fundamental look" at its human rights legislation.
"It isn't a case of repealing the European Convention on Human Rights and there's no protection of human rights.
"This country's got a proud tradition of that."
The UK currently remains subject to the ECHR framework. The Government continues to implement judgments of the European Court of Human Rights through domestic mechanisms including the Human Rights Act.
Rwanda and the ECHR
Councillor Faircloth-Mutton also cited the previous government's Rwanda asylum policy while explaining his opposition to the current framework.
He said the ECHR had "often been seen as the main obstacle for governments in the past" and referred to the legal challenge which prevented asylum seekers from being sent to Rwanda.
However, the legal position was broader than the ECHR alone.
In November 2023, the UK Supreme Court unanimously upheld a ruling that the Rwanda policy was unlawful because there were substantial grounds for believing asylum seekers sent there would face a real risk of being returned to countries where they could face persecution or ill-treatment.
The case involved obligations arising from several sources of law, including the Refugee Convention as well as Article 3 of the ECHR. Supreme Court
Opposition to RAF Barnham
The ECHR comments came as Councillor Faircloth-Mutton reiterated his opposition to the potential use of RAF Barnham.
He said Suffolk County Council was supporting residents who had raised concerns about the proposal and argued the plans would be unfair to people who had paid taxes in the UK for many years.
The Home Office says that, if approved, RAF Barnham would accommodate single adult male asylum seekers aged between 18 and 65.
It says residents would undergo mandatory checks against immigration, security and criminality databases, while the site would have 24-hour security and CCTV.
People accommodated there would not be detained and could leave the site, although everyone entering or leaving would be required to sign in and out. The Government says essential services would be provided on site to reduce pressure on local services.
The Government says the proposed accommodation would be designed to be largely self-sufficient and, if the scheme goes ahead, the site would be used for a minimum of ten years.
Councils oppose Barnham proposal
Opposition to the site extends beyond Councillor Faircloth-Mutton.
West Suffolk Council unanimously agreed in July that RAF Barnham was not a suitable location for asylum accommodation, citing its rural setting, local infrastructure, transport links and potential impact on services and communities.
The district council has also raised concerns about the site's location within the Breckland Special Protection Area and Special Area of Conservation and argues ecological protections could prevent the development from proceeding.
Following the Government's decision to pursue the Urgent Crown Development planning route, West Suffolk Council will be a consultee rather than deciding the application itself. It says it will continue to argue that the site is unsuitable and that local residents' concerns should be heard.
The Home Office says submitting the application does not mean a final decision has been taken.
It says the application is being pursued through that route because the proposed development is considered "urgent and of national importance", amid pressure on asylum accommodation and its efforts to reduce reliance on hotels.
What happens next?
Councillor Faircloth-Mutton said Suffolk County Council would remain in contact with residents while the Government considers the site.
He said the authority was open to discussions with ministers and to suggesting changes to the law which it believes could provide greater fairness for local residents.
The Home Office says feasibility assessments at RAF Barnham could take several months and that activity may be visible on the site while those assessments are carried out.
Any final proposal remains subject to planning and other necessary approvals
We've contacted the government for a response