Tony Vaughan KC MP on Borders, Justice and Europe’s Moral Compass

As debates on migration and justice continue to shape the politics of Europe, Tony Vaughan KC MP joins Professor Ben Hutchinson for an in conversation event exploring the intersections of law, politics and human rights.

Drawing on his experience as a Member of the UK Parliament and King’s Counsel specialising in immigration and asylum, Tony Vaughan will reflect on the challenges of irregular migration, the political choices it poses for European democracies and the challenges to the rule of law and human rights from our increasingly polarised political environments. The discussion will range from his advocacy for fair asylum policy and his recent Parliamentary interventions, to his work within the Council of Europe protecting human rights and seeking to secure compensation for Ukraine through frozen Russian assets. Together, they will consider why migration sits at the heart of today’s European political tectonics – and what this reveals about the future of rights and responsibility across the continent.

Tony Vaughan KC MP is the Member of Parliament for Folkestone and Hythe and a King’s Counsel specialising in human rights, immigration and asylum law. Before entering Parliament, he was a leading barrister with extensive experience in complex immigration and public law cases. In Parliament, he has campaigned for a principled, effective approach to migration policy and has spoken widely on constitutional and human rights issues. Internationally, he is a member of the UK Delegation to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, where he serves as the Vice Chair of the Legal Affairs Committee and is leading initiatives to ensure compensation for successful claimants before the Strasbourg Court – including Ukrainian victims – through repurposing frozen Russian assets. His work spans both the domestic and European arenas, examining how law and politics intersect in protecting human dignity.