February 2012

End to detention of very young children whose parents are awaiting expulsion?

The Migration News Sheet is your reliable source of news, policy and legal updates on migrants and refugees. Below is a selection of the headlines in the latest issue.

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Migration Policies

Afghan refugee denied residence permit because he could not afford the fee – Article 13 violation

Denmark: Children considered not capable of integrating and not yet deported may probably remain until new, less restrictive law is adopted

Netherlands: Proposal to increase age limit to 24 for partners wanting to exercise right of family reunion

Belgium: New Immigration Minister to tackle ‘abuse’ of applications for a residence permit on medical grounds

UK: More Church of England vicars accused of massively conducting fraudulent marriages


Irregular Migration

Sharp fall in the total number of irregular migrants intercepted entering Greece but not in the Evros region

Detention of families with young children now runs risk of being in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights


Asylum/Refugees

EU: Institutionalisation of ‘burden-sharing’ has been rejected

CJEU: Withdrawal of asylum application does not exclude applicant from scope of the Dublin II Regulation

ECHR: Rape of a detainee with the use of a truncheon by a supervising Greek coastguard official amounted to torture

Diplomatic assurances against torture are accepted but not trial where evidence obtained through torture may be used

France: Supreme Administrative Court criticises decision of French Refugee Office to systematically reject certain categories of asylum-seekers in order to combat fraudulent claims

UK: Two Libyans granted protection in the UK but abducted and flown to Libya have begun a lawsuit against top British intelligence officers for complicity


Racism/Discrimination

Athens has become too dangerous for some foreigners

France: Police unions reject Human Rights Watch report alleging discriminatory identity checks as an ‘insult’ and a ‘caricature’ of reality

UK: Victim of ‘institutionalised racism’ wins almost £1 million in compensation

FRANCE: Far-right presidential candidate presents detailed programme on economic recovery, based on xenophobia, isolationism and reduced participation in the EU

France: Six convictions so far for wearing a burqa in France

Integration/Diversity

Opinion survey suggests three out of 10 French people agree with far-right Front national

France: High Council on ‘Disintegration’?

Germany: Second integration report paints a better picture of the situation of immigrants in Germany

Sweden: ‘Make Sweden more Swedish again!’