Family Unity and International Protection – EU Regulation and its Compatibility with the echr

2021 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-189
Author(s):  
Georgios Milios
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Family Reunification ◽  
European Convention ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
The European Union ◽  
International Protection ◽  
Family Transfers ◽  
The Right ◽  
Family Unity

Abstract The present article deals with the issue of family unity in the field of international protection, with a special focus on the European Union (EU) rules and their compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights (echr) standards. In particular, the scope of the article is limited to family transfers of seekers of international protection under the Dublin system and to family reunification procedures for refugees, and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. After examining the legal framework at EU and domestic level, the present study focuses on two rather controversial issues, from a human rights perspective: on one side, the regulation of the right to family reunification for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and, on the other side, the different treatment between pre- and post-flight families in the field of international protection. The article concludes that the current rules regarding these two issues are not compatible with Article 8 of the echr taken together with Article 14 of the echr, and with Article 8 of the echr taken alone. It suggests that while the EU and domestic legislature remains inactive in order to correct these inequalities, the non-discrimination clauses may become directly applicable.

Part VI Refugee Rights and Realities, Ch.55 The Right to Family Reunification

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholson Frances
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Family Life ◽  
Family Reunification ◽  
Human Rights Law ◽  
Armed Groups ◽  
International Protection ◽  
Refugee Families ◽  
Unaccompanied Children ◽  
The Right ◽  
Family Unity

This chapter investigates the right to family reunification. Refugees fleeing persecution and armed conflict often become separated from their families or have to leave family members behind. Border guards, armed groups, smugglers, or simply force of circumstance may separate refugee families in the chaos of flight. For refugees and other beneficiaries of international protection, family reunification in the country of asylum is generally the only way to ensure respect for their right to family life and family unity. The chapter examines the extent of the rights to family life and family unity under human rights law both globally and regionally, with the right to family reunification itself also receiving widespread recognition. In practice, however, in order to realize these rights, refugee families must surmount numerous legal and practical obstacles that can render reunification a tortuous or even impossible undertaking. The chapter then takes a children’s rights perspective, focusing notably on the situation of adopted, fostered, and unaccompanied children.

scholarly journals The Concept of Integration in the Jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights

2010 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clíodhna Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
National Level ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Family Reunification ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Normative Development ◽  
European Court ◽  
The Right ◽  
Core Issues ◽  
The Eu

Abstract Integration has become a recurring theme of national immigration policies; and there has been a corresponding normative development of the concept to a certain degree in the European Union, both in soft policy and through references to integration in legally binding immigration measures. The difficulty in defining integration is a pervasive problem encountered by lawyers and sociologists attempting to understand the phenomenon. This article argues that the development of the concept of integration by the European Court of Human Rights has an important contribution to make to the debate, with the potential to provide a legal framework within which to situate integration policies at the national and the EU level. It assesses the concept of integration employed by the European Court of Human Rights, analysing the Court’s Article 8 immigration jurisprudence in terms of two core issues: first, the conception of integration employed in the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights; and second, the implications of the development of the concept in terms of impacting on the right to remain in a State Party and family reunification, each a key integration issue. The article concludes that while the jurisprudence relating to what actually constitutes ‘integration’ is very much in its infancy, the express consideration of integration as a factor in the balancing exercise undertaken by the Court in the expulsion cases signifies the start of a normative development of the concept of integration by the European Court of Human Rights. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether the increased emphasis of the Court on the integration criterion in the Article 8 expulsion cases influences the Court’s approach to key integration issues such as family reunification and in turn whether this filters down to legislators and policymakers at the national level.

scholarly journals Academic Freedom and Its Protection in the Law of European States

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 254-345
Author(s):  
Klaus D. Beiter ◽  
Terence Karran ◽  
Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Academic Freedom ◽  
Freedom Of Expression ◽  
European Convention ◽  
The European Union ◽  
International Human Rights ◽  
International Human ◽  
The Law ◽  
The Right

Focusing on those countries that are members of the European Union, it may be noted that these countries are bound under international human rights agreements, such as the International Covenants on Civil and Political, and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights or the European Convention on Human Rights, to safeguard academic freedom under provisions providing for the right to freedom of expression, the right to education, and respect for ‘the freedom indispensable for scientific research.’ unesco’s Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel, a ‘soft-law’ document of 1997, concretises international human rights requirements to be complied with to make the protection of the right to academic freedom effective. Relying on a set of human rights indicators, the present article assesses the extent to which the constitutions, laws on higher education, and other relevant legislation of eu states implement the Recommendation’s criteria. The situation of academic freedom in practice will not be assessed here. The results for the various countries have been quantified and countries ranked in accordance with ‘their performance.’ The assessment demonstrates that, overall, the state of the protection of the right to academic freedom in the law of European states is one of ‘ill-health.’ Institutional autonomy is being misconstrued as exhausting the concept of academic freedom, self-governance in higher education institutions sacrificed for ‘executive-style’ management, and employment security abrogated to cater for ‘changing employment needs’ in higher education.

THE PROTECTION OF EUROPEAN UNION CITIZENS VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN EUROPE

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-178
Author(s):  
Fulvia Staiano
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Human Trafficking ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Refugee Status ◽  
International Protection ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
European Court ◽  
Common European Asylum System

On February 2015, Eurostat issued a report highlighting that 65% of registered victims of human trafficking in Europe between 2010 and 2012 were citizens of the European Union (EU). Despite the seriousness of this phenomenon, EU citizens who are victims of trafficking are afforded little protection in the European legal space. First, the multi-level legal framework against trafficking applicable on the Union territory does not recognise clear residence rights to this group. Second, the general freedom of movement granted to all EU citizens under Directive 2004/38 might be precluded to victims of trafficking due to the economic prerequisites required by this instrument. It follows that the granting of refugee status to EU citizens who are victims of trafficking becomes a crucial source of protection. The safe country presumption in force between EU Member States under the so-called Aznar Protocol, however, precludes access to international protection for this group. This article critically reviews the Common European Asylum System, in search of normative and judicial interpretations capable of ensuring a stronger protection of EU citizens who are victims of trafficking. In this context, a special focus is devoted to the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights and of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Some decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of the European Union con cerning the right of asylum

10.12737/5251 ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-74
Author(s):  
Габриэлла Белова ◽  
Gabriela Belova ◽  
Мария Хаджипетрова-Лачова ◽  
Maria Hadzhipetrova-Lachova
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
European Convention ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Protective Mechanisms ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
European Court ◽  
Protection Of Human Rights ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Eu

The authors analyze certain cases considered in recent years by the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of European Union in Luxembourg and associated with providing of asylum to the third country nationals. In individual EU member states there are huge differences in the procedures and protective mechanisms for asylum seekers in their access to work, as well as in the use of mechanism of forced detention. Due to accession of the EU to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the EU should comply the standards set by the Council of Europe. The authors analyze the new approach of the Strasbourg Court in decision MSS v. Belgium and Greece unlike other "Dublin" cases. They also consider certain new judgements of the Court of European Union in Luxembourg, some of which were accepted in order of urgent prejudicial production.

scholarly journals Free legal aid in the context of the right of access to court

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (89) ◽  
pp. 65-82
Author(s):  
Dušica Palačković ◽  
Jelena Čanović
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
National Level ◽  
European Convention ◽  
Quality Level ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Legal Aid ◽  
European Court ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Right ◽  
Right Of Access

The Constitution of the Republic of Serbia explicitly regulates that free legal aid shall be stipulated by the law. In a series of reports on the progress of the Republic of Serbia in the process of joining the EU, there are warnings about the unacceptably low quality level and efficiency of the judiciary, and indications that there is a need to regulate the legal aid system. Finally, this matter was regulated by enacting the Legal Aid Act of the Republic of Serbia, which came into force on 1st October 2019. In addition to the conceptual definition of legal aid, the paper analyzes the right of access to court as a constituent element of the right to a fair trial prescribed in Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which entails the right to legal aid. The regulation of legal aid at the national level has to meet the standards formulated at the European Union level as well as the standards formulated through the practice of the European Court of Human Rights. In that context, the paper analyzes the regulations and decisions, i.e. the widely recognized and accepted standards. The Legal Aid Act of the Republic of Serbia has been analyzed in the context of meeting these standards, especially in relation to the conditions for granting the right to legal aid and the circle of beneficiaries and providers of certain types of legal aid.

scholarly journals Who is Entitled to the Right to Respect for Family Life Under the European Union Law?

Teisė ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 110 ◽  
pp. 24-45
Author(s):  
Ingrida Danėlienė
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Family Life ◽  
National Level ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
European Convention ◽  
The European Union ◽  
European Union Law ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Right

[full article, abstract in English; abstract in Lithuanian] The article investigates the right to respect for family life, established by Article 7 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, as applied and interpreted in conjunction with the right to marry and the right to found a family, laid down in Article 9 of the Charter. The standard of protection set by European Union law regarding these rights is identified by taking into account the standard of protection of the relevant rights established by the European Convention on Human Rights and the established case law of the European Court of Human Rights. Topical issues relating to the consolidation of these individual rights at the national level in the Republic of Lithuania are also addressed in the article. In doing so, an emphasis is laid on the content of the concepts of “family” and “family life” under supranational and national law.

Access to and Limits on Evidence Dossiers in Civil Law Systems

2019 ◽  
pp. 561-585
Author(s):  
Michele Caianiello
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Civil Law ◽  
Criminal Court ◽  
European Convention ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Right To Information ◽  
The Right ◽  
Right Of Access

This chapter examines issues surrounding the right of access to and limits on evidence dossiers in civil law systems. It first provides an overview of the general aims pursued by the law in regulating the parties’ right of access to the investigative file before discussing supranational sources, such as the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the case law of the European Court on Human Rights (ECtHR). In particular, it explores how the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and certain directives adopted by the European Union on the right to information by defendants and by victims has influenced the criminal procedures of EU Member States. It also analyzes disclosure at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and concludes by explaining how civil law systems have changed in recent years, what their common features and shortcomings are, and how they could be improved.

Reforming Defence Rights in French Police Custody: A Coming Together in Europe?

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-174
Author(s):  
Aude Dorange ◽  
Stewart Field
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
European Convention ◽  
Constitutional Court ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Police Custody ◽  
Appeal Court ◽  
European Court ◽  
Major Reform ◽  
The Right ◽  
Criminal Matters

In April 2011 a major reform of the law regulating the police custody phase ( la garde à vue) was adopted by the French Parliament and implemented in June 2011. The new legislation confirms the right of immediate access to a lawyer in police custody and establishes a right to have that lawyer present during interrogation. This follows a series of decisions in 2010 by the European Court of Human Rights, the French Constitutional ‘Court’ ( Conseil constitutionnel) and the final appeal court with jurisdiction over criminal matters ( la Chambre criminelle de la Cour de cassation). These decisions declared existing limits to defence rights in the French police custody phase to be contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights, unconstitutional and unlawful. These developments have been much discussed in France (both positively and negatively) because they seem to signal a further shift away from France's inquisitorial tradition in criminal process. They can also be seen as part of a coming together of defence rights across Europe prompted by the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights.

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