Post Brexit, we’re asking the wrong questions on human rights
In this article for Bylines, Consortium Director Mhairi Snowden explains that we are asking the wrong questions about human rights in a post-Brexit UK, and argues that we should be focussing on how we can protect the rights of the most vulnerable people in our society. Now that we have left the EU, we no longer have to contend with debates about second referendums or the content of deals, but we do need to think carefully about how the UK will continue to protect and promote human rights in domestic law.
She expresses concern that the UK may adopt a ‘lowest common denominator’ approach which may undermine the efforts of devolved nations to keep pace with the EU’s human rights standards. This is worrying at a time when many vulnerable EU citizens have yet to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to secure their right to stay in the UK. The deadline for applications to the EU Settlement Scheme is the 30th June 2021.
The article states that:
“It is crucial that post-Brexit human rights decisions are not driven by the desire to reduce protections for our most vulnerable people to the bare minimum. Instead, let’s find answers to how we keep what we have, and go further to improve and enhance the realisation of human rights for all of us.”