European court backs Spain on express migrant deportations

Notable Attorneys

The European Court of Human Rights on Thursday backed Spain’s express deportation of two African migrants back to Morocco from a Spanish enclave in northwest Africa as part of a mass expulsion.

The court’s grand chamber ruled that there had been no violation of two articles of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The case was taken by a Malian and an Ivorian with the support of the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, or ECCHR.

The two men, along with several dozen others, crossed the high three border wire fences separating the Spanish enclave of Melilla from Morocco in August 2014. They were caught by Spanish police and immediately returned to Morocco.

Human rights organizations have long criticized express deportations. They claim that migrants are denied the opportunity to apply for asylum and an assessment of the risks they face if expelled.

The European court had initially condemned Spain in October 2017 for the case and concluded that the so-called summary returns from the Spanish North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla to Morocco were in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. Thursday's ruling followed an appeal by Spain.

The appeal chamber said the migrants had “placed themselves in an unlawful situation when they had deliberately attempted to enter Spain as part of a large group and at an unauthorized location, taking advantage of the group’s large numbers and using force.”

It said “they had thus chosen not to use the legal procedures which existed in order to enter Spanish territory lawfully.”

Ceuta and Melilla are the European Union’s only land borders with Africa, Each year thousands of migrants, most of them from sub-Saharan countries, try to scale the fences to make it into Spain in the hope they won’t be returned and may get asylum.

Related listings

  • Bangladesh court orders 231 factories closed to save river

    Bangladesh court orders 231 factories closed to save river

    Notable Attorneys 01/13/2020

    Bangladesh’s High Court has asked authorities to shut down 231 factories surrounding the highly polluted main river in the nation’s capital, lawyers and activists said Tuesday. Manzil Murshid, who filed a petition with the court seeking i...

  • Trump, GOP states ask appeals court to kill ‘Obamacare’

    Trump, GOP states ask appeals court to kill ‘Obamacare’

    Notable Attorneys 05/01/2019

    Taking a harder line on health care, the Trump administration joined a coalition of Republican-led states Wednesday in asking a federal appeals court to entirely overturn former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law — a decis...

  • Rancorous, partisan start for Kavanaugh high court hearing

    Rancorous, partisan start for Kavanaugh high court hearing

    Notable Attorneys 09/02/2018

    Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh declared fervently at his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday the court "must never, never be viewed as a partisan institution." But that was at the end of a marathon day marked by rancorous exchanges between Dem...

New Rochelle, New York Work Accidents Lawyers

It doesn’t matter what type of work you do or where you work, you can always be at risk of injuring yourself at your work no matter how safe you may think it is. Accidents in the workplace are often caused by unsafe work conditions arising from ignoring safety rules, overlooking maintenance or other negligence of those in management. Work accidents can cause serious injuries and sometimes permanent damage. Some extremely serious work injuries can permanently hinder a person’s ability to get around and continue their daily duties.

Factors that affect one’s quality of life like place of work, relationships with friends and family, social standing can all be taken away quickly by a work injury. Although, you may not be able to recover all of your losses, you may be entitled to compensation as a result of your work injury. In order to ensure that you and your loved ones receive the best outcome, make sure you have the help of an experienced New Rochelle, New York workplace injury lawyer you deserve. We can get you on your way to filing a claim against the responsible party. If you have been injured at your place of work it is important to know your options by seeking legal action. Kommer Bave & Ollman LLP offers a free case evaluation where we will answer any questions you may have and explain your legal options. Call us at 914-633-7400 or contact our firm to schedule a free consultation with an experienced attorney.

Business News

Clayton, MO Federal Criminal Defense Attorney The Law Offices of John M. Lynch, LLC, provides strong representation for clients with federal criminal defense. >> read