Keir Starmer has called on European leaders to urgently update the European convention on human rights (ECHR) to stop asylum seekers using it to avoid deportation.

Ahead of a European summit on Wednesday the Prime Minister has urged fellow members to ‘go further’ in modernising human rights laws to protect their borders and see off the rise of Right-wing parties.

Last month Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced plans to stop migrants using the ECHR to avoid deportation.

But both the Conservatives and Reform UK said this does not go far enough and have called for a complete withdrawal from the convention to take back control of Britain’s borders.

But writing in the Guardian, Sir Keir said that updating the ECHR is urgently required to tackle mass migration and confront the rise of Right-wing parties that are shaking up the status quo across Europe.

‘The current asylum framework was created for another era. In a world with mass mobility, yesterday’s answers do not work,’ the Prime Minister wrote in a joint article with the Danish leader Mette Frederiksen.

‘We will always protect those fleeing war and terror – but the world has changed and asylum systems must change with it.’

Sir Keir added: ‘Migration must be orderly, managed and sustainable. Irregular routes should not be the go-to option – so we must dismantle the human smuggling networks that prey on desperation.

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Sir Keir Starmer has called on European leaders to change the ECHR to prevent asylum seekers using it to avoid deportations

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Sir Keir, pictured on Monday with Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Volodymyr Zelensky, has called for human rights laws to be ‘modernised’

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The Prime Minister called for change in a joint article with the Danish leader Mette Frederiksen (pictured together in October)

‘Together, we are calling on our friends across Europe to go further in tackling these shared challenges.’

It comes as the Prime Minister was handed a new Brexit headache on Tuesday after 13 Labour MPs broke ranks to back an effort to create a new EU/UK customs union.

The stunt by the Lib Dems will now go to another debate and vote after their support and that of Remain-backing former Tory minister turned Deputy Speaker Caroline Nokes allowed it to pass by a single vote.

Those who supported the move included serial hard-Left rebels Richard Burgon and Bell Ribeiro-Addy, plus 2024 intake Crawley MP Peter Lamb and Dame Meg Hillier, the senior select committee chairwoman.

Meanwhile, Nigel Farage has warned the favourite to be the next French President that Britain will tow migrant dinghies back across the Channel unless he fixes the small boats crisis.

The Reform UK leader met Jordan Bardella, the head of France’s far-Right National Rally party, in London on Tuesday where they discussed illegal migration and energy policy.

The French MEP – who is leading the opinion polls to win the first round of the next presidential election in 2027 – said that he believes Mr Farage will be the next Prime Minister.