A recent poll indicates that a majority of the British population supports the idea of the United Kingdom withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in a bid to

strengthen border control and fulfill the key Brexit pledge of "taking back control."

The survey revealed that 54 percent of adults are in favor of exiting the ECHR, while only 27 percent oppose such a move. A significant portion of respondents also agreed with replacing the existing European human rights framework with new British laws that protect rights like free speech while facilitating the swift deportation of illegal immigrants.

Among Conservative Party voters, support for leaving the ECHR stood at 86 percent, according to the poll conducted for The New Conservatives, a group of Tory MPs working to shape the party's policies for the upcoming general election. Meanwhile, 40 percent of Labour supporters also expressed agreement.

This surge in public opinion comes just days before the Supreme Court hearing on the government's deportation policy regarding Rwanda begins. Many Conservative MPs argue that the £140 million scheme, which has been stalled on legal grounds since June the previous year, is crucial to curbing illegal migration.

Conservative MP Tom Hunt remarked, "Finally, we have a poll that clearly demonstrates that if necessary, the majority of the public would absolutely support replacing the ECHR if it was necessary to control our borders and implement a scheme."

The survey was conducted by Whitestone Insight before Home Secretary Suella Braverman criticized the 1951 Refugee Convention, calling it a contributor to an "absurd and unsustainable" asylum system and warning of the existential threat posed by uncontrolled immigration.

The Home Office's plans for the Scampton site, which aims to house up to 2,000 asylum seekers, has faced substantial opposition, including protests by campaigners and objections from historians due to the site's historical connections with the Dambusters squadron. A judicial review on this matter is scheduled for the end of this month.

West Lindsey District Council recently issued a temporary stop notice on work at the site, although it claimed that the Home Office continued the work in violation of the notice. The Home Office has not confirmed or denied these allegations.

The growing public sentiment favoring an ECHR exit is placing additional pressure on the UK government to reconsider its membership in the human rights framework. While the government believes its current approach aligns with international obligations, several Cabinet ministers, including Kemi Badenoch and Michael Gove, have urged a review of Britain's ECHR membership. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has vowed to do "whatever is necessary" to halt small boat crossings into the UK.

At the Conservative Party conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged the progress made in reducing small boat Channel crossings but emphasized the need for further action, suggesting that once regular flights to Rwanda commence, the influx of boats will cease. Photo by Adrian Grycuk, Wikimedia commons.