THE former minister for immigration has suggested that the UK special forces are “murdering people” because the government can’t deport them.
In a campaign video uploaded to social media on Monday the Tory MP for Newark, Robert Jenrick, has suggested that special forces are killing people instead of capturing them due to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) “setting them free”.
In the short two-and-a-half-minute video Jenrick, who is in the running to be the next leader of the Conservative Party, says the ECHR is why “illegal” migration is out of control in the UK.
He begins by blaming the court for not allowing the government to deport convicted criminals who are held in prisons who have migrated to the UK.
He said it has created “an arsenal of rights” for people looking to migrate to Europe and that it “gums up” the courts and prevents them from “being removed”.
Jenrick then goes on to say: “Our special forces are killing, rather than capturing terrorists because our lawyers tell us that if they are caught the European Court will set them free.”
Along with the short video the Tory MP posted on Twitter/X: “Do you want to deport foreign criminals, get terrorists off our streets, and end illegal migration?
“Then we must leave the ECHR.”
Do you want to deport foreign criminals, get terrorists off our streets, and end illegal migration? Then we must leave the ECHR. pic.twitter.com/8Z4V8NwbkO
— Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) September 30, 2024
Under the European Convention on Human Rights by the ECHR governments are prohibited from returning migrants to countries where they could face torture, inhuman treatment, or degrading punishment.
The ECHR also protects migrant's treatment when they first enter Europe, and their social, civil, political, and cultural rights as long-term migrants.
It also protects the right of migrants to family life against deportation or extradition as well as a number of other rights like the right to a fair trial.
Jenrick’s comments in the campaign video have come under criticism online as human rights lawyer, Jessica Simor, said they are serious allegations and if he has any information about this happening, he needs to be held accountable.
She said: “Jenrick, a former Home Office Minister, says that UK Special Forces are murdering rather than arresting people to avoid the risk of them being allowed to stay.
“This is an extremely serious allegation of criminality. If he ordered it or has information, he must be held to account.”
The Tory Party introduced an immigration policy, which came into effect by the end of 2023 after a legal battle with the ECHR, that tried to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
However, it was scrapped by the Labour Government when they took over in July and is believed to have cost the taxpayers £700 million and only four migrants were voluntarily relocated while it was in place.
The Conservative Party has been approached for comment.
