The UK has joined some of Europe’s hardline governments in calling for human rights laws to be “constrained” to allow Rwanda-style migration deals with third countries and more foreign criminals to be deported.

Twenty-seven of the 46 Council of Europe members including the UK, Hungary and Italy have signed an unofficial statement that also urges a new framework for the European convention of human rights, which will narrow the definition of “inhuman and degrading treatment”.

The statement follows a meeting of the council in Strasbourg on Wednesday as part of a push to change the way the laws apply in migration cases. The UK’s deputy prime minister, David Lammy, attended the meeting and was expected to argue that the rules must not stop countries tackling the problem of illegal migration.