UK home secretary calls UN refugee convention rules 'absurd, unsustainable'

The UK home secretary on Tuesday voiced strong criticism of the current operation of the UN refugee treaty, calling it "absurd and unsustainable."

In her speech at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, Suella Braverman argued that UN's 1951 Refugee Convention is extending protection to nearly 800 million individuals, some of whom she believes should not be qualified for international refugee protection.

She contended that the interpretation of the convention's key terms had evolved over time, leading to an expansive definition of refugees.

"Article 1 of the convention defines that the term 'refugee' as applying to those who, 'owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion' cannot safely reside in the country of their nationality," she said.

"As case law has developed, what we have seen in practice is an interpretive shift away from 'persecution,' in favor of something more akin to a definition of 'discrimination.'"

The requirement of a "well-founded fear" had been relaxed to a "credible" or "plausible fear," thereby broadening the eligibility for asylum, she added.

She said the issue of uncontrolled and illegal migration was an "existential challenge for the political and cultural institutions of the West."

Braverman emphasized the urgent need to address the issue, asserting that it threatened the very fabric of Western societies.

She pointed to recent events at Lampedusa, a small Italian island in the Mediterranean where thousands of migrants arrived on small boats in a few days, to illustrate the severity of the matter.

The minister claimed reluctance among politicians to reform the convention stems from "the fear of being labeled as racist or illiberal."

She acknowledged the inherent difficulty in renegotiating such international agreements, citing the complex process of consensus-building within the UN as a formidable obstacle.

"It is very hard to renegotiate these instruments. If you think getting 27 EU member states to agree is difficult, try getting agreement at the UN," she said.

She claimed that several countries, either publicly or privately, support the UK's controversial Rwanda plan – sending illegal migrants to the third countries.

"While our political opponents, NGOs, and others dismissed the partnership as an immoral gimmick when it was first announced, it is striking how many countries – run by governments of varying political hues – have now expressed in public, and in private conversations, their support for this model. Many are now pursuing variations of their own," she said.