Detention of third-country nationals in return procedures Denmark,299 the Netherlands300 and Slovenia.301 In the UK, there is in principle a presumption against detention, which means that, where possible, alternatives should be applied.302 Foreigners have a right to apply for bail303 and must be informed of this right.304 FRA Opinion Detention should not be resorted to when less intrusive measures are sufficient to achieve the legitimate objective pursued. In order to ensure that less coercive measures are applied in practice, EU Member States are encouraged to set out in national legislation rules dealing with alternatives to detention that require the authorities to examine in each individual case whether the objective of securing the removal can be achieved through less coercive measures before issuing a detention order, and provide reasons if this is not the case. Steuerung und Begrenzung der Zuwanderung und zur Regelung des Aufenthalts und der Integration von Unionsbürgern und Ausländern (Zuwanderungsgesetz), July 2006, p. 160: „Insbesondere wird zu prüfen sein, ob anstelle von Abschiebungshaft mildere Maßnahmen […] angeordnet werden können“. The report is available in German online at: http://www.bmi.bund.de/cae/servlet/contentblob/151396/ publicationFile/14810/evaluierungsbericht_zum_zuwanderungsgesetz.pdf . 299 While the Aliens Act foresees a duty to examine alternatives before resorting to detention under Section 36.1, no obligation to that effect appear to exist when ordering detention under Section 36.5 of the Aliens Act, i.e. when it is required to prevent absconding of aliens who committed certain types of criminal offences or aliens who entered Denmark in an irregular manner. 300 See Council of State, decision of 23 June 2006, Case No. 200603830/1, JV 2006/323 as well as Vreemdelingencirculaire 2000, A6/1. 301 Slovenia, Constitutional Court U-I-297/95, 28.10. 1998. 302 UKBA, Operational Enforcement Manual, Ch. 55.1, available at: http:// www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/guidance/enforcement/. It is a Common Law presumption, now reinforced by the Human Rights Act 1998, but is not otherwise reflected in Statute or Immigration Rules. 303 1971 Act Sch 2 paragraphs 22 and 29 and 1999 Act s.54. 304 Unlike criminal cases, there is no automatic bail hearing however. The Bail Circly at http://www.ctbi.org.uk/CHA/94 brings together lawyers and others ready to support release on bail. 54