Migration and security: Italy and Denmark lead the initiative at the Council of Europe: 27 countries sign the declaration.

The December 10, during Conference of Ministers of Justice of the Council of Europe held in Strasbourg, 27 Member States they approved a Joint Declaration on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The document stressed the need to make the conventional framework more suitable for contemporary challenges in migration and security.

The initiative was promoted by Italy and Denmark, who reiterated their desire to take on a leading role in strengthening European policies on these issues.

Frederiksen: Rebalancing security and rights is necessary

During the works, the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen highlighted the difficulties encountered by several States in the expulsion of foreigners convicted of serious crimes, due to some interpretations of the Convention.

«We must ensure that foreigners responsible for serious crimes can be deported. – he stated –. In some cases this has not been possible, making it necessary to rebalance the protection of public safety and the individual rights of foreign criminals".

Frederiksen described the support he received as an important step to strengthen the sense of security of the European populations.

Meloni: Italy is a key player in the European debate

Also the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni He underlined the political significance of the declaration, linking it to the action taken by Italy in recent months on the migration front.

«Italy has assumed a central and proactive role in migration and security matters also within the Council of Europe – he declared –. The accession of 27 countries to the joint declaration promoted with Denmark has confirmed the need to update the application of the ECHR to the current context."

According to Meloni, the goal is to ensure that the safety of citizens, considered a absolute priority, is not compromised by regulatory interpretations that could favor individuals responsible for serious violations.

The path to 2026

The declaration approved on December 10 followed the open letter of May 22, 2025, initially signed by nine Member States of the Council of Europe.

The discussion is intended to continue in collaboration with the Strasbourg organisation, with the aim of reaching the adoption of a new political declaration during the Meeting of Foreign Ministers scheduled for May 15, 2026, in Chișinău, Moldova.