Case summaries

Belgium - Council for Alien Law Litigation, 18 September 2014, No. 129604
Country of applicant: Cameroon

The Aliens Litigation Court has cancelled a judgment by the Secretary of State for Asylum, Migration and for Social Integration, which refuses leave to remain to a Cameroon national with an order of expulsion to Cyprus, the first European State through which the applicant entered.

Date of decision: 18-09-2014
Germany – Federal Constitutional Court, 17 September 2014, 2 BvR 1795/14
Country of applicant: Ethiopia

The decision of the German Federal Constitutional Court allowed a Dublin transfer of a woman and her infant child to Italy stating that the applicants did not sufficiently substantiate that they were at risk of living on the streets when returned to Italy.

The competent authority has to provide suitable guarantees to ensure the well-being of the infant applicant when returned to Italy.

Date of decision: 17-09-2014
France - Administrative Tribunal of Nantes, decision of 16 September 2014, No 1407765
Country of applicant: Syria

A claim challenging the refusal to grant a visa -in order to claim asylum on French territory- qualifies as being urgent. The consular authority is not qualified to assess the asylum claim. 

Date of decision: 16-09-2014
ECtHR - Trabelsi v. Belgium, (Application no. 140/10), 4 September 2014
Country of applicant: Tunisia

The ECtHR has unanimously held that Belgium, in extraditing a Tunisian national to the US, where he was under prosecution on charges linked to Al-Qaeda, without any regard to the interim Rule 39 measure issued by the Court suspending the extradition, had violated both Article 3 and Article 34 (right to individual applications)of the ECHR.

Date of decision: 04-09-2014
ECtHR - M.V and M.T. v France, Application No. 17897/09
Country of applicant: Russia (Chechnya)

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has held that the proposed return of a Chechen couple to the Russian Federation would constitute inhumane treatment. The couples right to an effective remedy to complain of the real risk of inhumane treatment had, however, not been violated.

Date of decision: 04-09-2014
Germany – Administrative Court Hannover, 08/15/2014, 6 A 9853/14
Country of applicant: Iraq

In light of a deterioration of safety conditions in Iraq since June 10th 2014 members of the Yazidi religious group living in the province of Ninive (Mosul) are in danger of persecution solely on the basis of their religious beliefs, from which they can’t reasonably seek effective protection from the Iraqi state nor from any other organization, which could offer protection. Furthermore they can’t now, nor will they for the foreseeable future be able to evade persecution by seeking refuge in safe havens within country boarders.

Date of decision: 15-08-2014
ECtHR – F.H. v Greece, Application No. 78456/11
Country of applicant: Iran

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has held that the conditions of various detention centres in Greece, where the applicant was placed, along with the living conditions after his release, constituted degrading treatment and thus a violation of Article 3 (prohibition of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Date of decision: 31-07-2014
ECtHR - Tatishvili v. Greece, Application No. 26452/11
Country of applicant: Georgia

The European Court of Human Rights has held that the detention conditions in the Police Directors of the Aliens Directorate of Thessaloniki and Attica Aliens Directorate, where a Georgian national was held, amounted to inhumane treatment. However, the Court declined to accept that the individual’s right to liberty and security along with his right to judicially review the legality of his detention had been infringed.

Date of decision: 31-07-2014
Slovakia – Supreme Court, 29/7/2014, M.L.J. in Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic, Presidium of the Police Force, Foreign and Border Police, Directorate of the Foreign and Border Police Sobrance, Department of the Border Control Podhoroď, 1Sža/21
Country of applicant: Afghanistan

The Respondent erred in detaining the Applicant under § 88a (1)(a) point 1 of Act No 404/2011 Coll. on the residence of aliens and amending certain other Acts in proceedings relating to administrative expulsion to the Ukraine, despite being aware of the Applicant’s intention to apply for asylum. The Respondent also incorrectly assessed whether Ukraine is a safe third country as he failed to take into account recent information on the current situation in Ukraine. Moreover, in assessing the risk of absconding, the Respondent asked improper questions. As such the Respondent's conduct violates principles of good governance.

Date of decision: 29-07-2014
ECtHR - A.A. and Others v. Sweden, Application No. 34098/11
Country of applicant: Somalia

The applicants’ removal from Sweden to Somalia would not expose them to a real risk of being subjected to treatment in breach of Article 3 ECHR.

Date of decision: 24-07-2014