New equalities boss warns against ‘demonisation’ of migrants in UK
The new head of Britain’s equality watchdog has warned that the “demonisation” of immigrants could harm UK citizens and make their lives “very, very difficult”.
Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson said people from ethnic minorities were affected and also warned against the “mistake” of leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), a policy supported by UK Reform and the Conservatives.
Nearly 250 refugee aid organizations condemned anti-immigrant violence last August, when rioters attacked hotels housing asylum seekers, calling for a move away from the “evil language of the past”.
Dr Stephenson said: “I think it’s really important that we’re honest in the way we talk about human rights, and I also think it’s important that we recognize that the demonization of immigrants, the creation of the idea that immigration poses huge risks to the country, can make the lives of not only immigrants coming to the UK, but also UK citizens who are ethnic minorities, very, very difficult.”
In an interview with the Press Association, he said there was “a real risk that people often use cases in court where human rights claims are made but are not successful”.
It highlighted a study conducted at Oxford University earlier this year, highlighting “several high-profile examples of misleading reporting, including the ‘chicken nugget’ case, which was widely reported as preventing the deportation of an individual because of their child’s dislike of foreign foods, although the decision was not based on that detail and has already been overturned.”
He also highlighted positive cases of the use of the ECHR, including the John Worboys black cabbie rape case, in which the High Court ruled that the police could be held accountable for serious failings in their investigations.
Both the Conservatives and the Reform Party have said they will leave the ECHR over claims that the ECHR blocks efforts to deport illegal immigrants as part of efforts to combat immigration.
The government has rejected calls to leave the deal but ministers are reviewing human rights law to make it easier to deport people who have no right to be in the UK.
Earlier this month, the head of the body that oversees the ECHR said member states had taken an “important first step” by agreeing to reform the treaty to combat migration.
Sir Keir Starmer has called on European leaders to reexamine how the major human rights treaty is being interpreted to tackle illegal immigration and curb the rise of the far right.
Alain Berset, secretary general of the Council of Europe, said that it was possible to adapt the agreement, which he described as a “living instrument”, and that work would begin on the adoption of the new political declaration in Moldova in May 2026.
