New farce over migrant crooks as judge overrules plan to boot out foreign criminals

BRITAIN’S top immigration judge is defying attempts to stop foreign criminals exploiting European human rights laws to stay in Britain.

 

In a key ruling, Mr Justice Blake insisted that the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights can override decisions taken by Parliament to toughen up immigration rules.

His decision is a damaging blow to Home Secretary Theresa May’s attempts to stop overseas-born crooks using the “right to family life” as an excuse to avoid deportation.

The judge also claimed that “little weight” should be given to Home Office rules ­involving criminals with children.

Mr Justice Blake’s ruling, in a case ­involving a Nigerian drug dealer, will have to be ­followed by other immigration judges in future ­deportation cases. But his intervention has infuriated MPs.

Tory backbencher Priti Patel, MP for Witham in Essex, said: “This judge’s comments show he is completely out of touch. People are fed up with these nasty criminals who come to Britain, break the law and then play the system to stay here.” Dominic Raab, Tory MP for Esher and Walton in Surrey, said the ruling usurped the democratic will of Parliament.

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