Michael O'Flaherty, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, warns that harsh migration policies can create a hierarchy of people and undermine fundamental rights.

Michael O'Flaherty, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, stated that European governments, including the one led by Keir Starmer, risk creating a 'hierarchy of people' by limiting fundamental rights in an attempt to manage migration. In an interview with The Guardian, he criticized 'moderate politicians' who facilitate the agenda of the populist right, emphasizing that the association between migration and crime is a 'lazy correlation' that does not reflect reality.

O'Flaherty warned that concessions in the rights of migrants could lead to further demands for restrictions, endangering the fundamental principles of the ECHR, which affirm the equality of all people. He highlighted the importance of protecting human rights for everyone, warning that creating an impression of hierarchy among people is extremely concerning.