Dominic Raab: Time for us to reset skewed 'human rights' Yet, the immigration tribunals have so far sanctioned the deportation of just 15, diluting the unequivocal message of the criminal courts. In the cases reported today, it is astonishing that Mr Nkanta, a man who showed no concern for the livelihood of those he burgled, can point to various children fathered with different partners to scupper deportation. Even more disturbing is the case of TS. A ringleader of the mob that destroyed local shops in Milton Keynes and then set upon a bus, leaving the female driver in fear of her life, was sentenced to 15 months. Still, he cheated deportation just by pointing to a girlfriend of three years, and family members who even the judge said he had become estranged from. The court cosseted him further by granting anonymity. So much for sending a clear message. Beyond the riots, between 200 to 400 foreign criminals evade deportation each year by citing nebulous family or social ties under Article 8 of the European Convention, accounting for around 90 per cent of successful challenges. These cases warp the moral balance of British justice, endanger the public and make human rights sound like dirty words to many people. Some argue the rights of the partners and children of the perpetrators must be given due weight. In reality, Article 8 is being expanded to protect the criminals" rights not the families. Far from safeguarding the vulnerable, it can expose them to undue pressure from dangerous offenders. In one case, a drug-dealer convicted of beating his girlfriend - and jailed twice for other barbaric attacks - successfully cited his young daughter as grounds to evade deportation. He never paid maintenance. He had scarcely seen his daughter, until lawyers explained it might help his case - and despite the mother not wanting her to visit him in prison. Far from protecting children, the abuse of Article 8 risks making them pawns - subject to coercion or worse - as part of a criminal's desperate struggle to stay in Britain. It's time we restored some balance to this skewed application of human rights. In this week's Queen's Speech, the government should bring forward watertight proposals to remove the right of foreign criminals, jailed for at least a year, to claim the right to family life to frustrate their deportation. Given all the recent talk of reining in human rights, the public understandably expect some action. Dominic Raab is the Conservative MP for Esher & Walton