Contents
FOREWORD................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................................... 7
OPINIONS...................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................................................... 13
1. EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF GROUNDS........................................................................................................................................ 15
1.1. Legitimate grounds...................................................................................................................................................................................................................15
1.2. Grounds found in national legislation...........................................................................................................................................................................16
1.3. Grounds not covered by Article 5.1(f ) ECHR..............................................................................................................................................................19
2. NECESSITY AND PROPORTIONALITY................................................................................................................................ 21
2.1. Balancing..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................21
2.2. Mandatory detention...............................................................................................................................................................................................................23
2.3. Due diligence in preparing and implementing removal...................................................................................................................................24
2.4. Real prospects for removal....................................................................................................................................................................................................25
2.5. Legal bars to removal...............................................................................................................................................................................................................26
2.6. Risk of absconding.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................27
2.7. Personal characteristics and vulnerabilities................................................................................................................................................................28
3. MAXIMUM LENGTH OF DETENTION................................................................................................................................. 31
3.1. Time limits set out in national law....................................................................................................................................................................................31
3.2. As short as possible...................................................................................................................................................................................................................35
3.3. Automatic periodic reviews ................................................................................................................................................................................................37
4. PROCEDURAL GUARANTEES.............................................................................................................................................. 39
4.1. Right to be informed................................................................................................................................................................................................................39
4.2. Judicial review...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................40
4.3. Legal assistance............................................................................................................................................................................................................................45
4.4. Access to asylum procedures from detention..........................................................................................................................................................47
5. ALTERNATIVES TO DETENTION.......................................................................................................................................... 49
5.1. Alternatives found in national legislation....................................................................................................................................................................49
5.2. Duty to examine alternatives before detaining.......................................................................................................................................................53
6. DETENTION OF CHILDREN.................................................................................................................................................. 55
6.1. Measure of last resort...............................................................................................................................................................................................................55
6.2. Guarantees against separation from parents............................................................................................................................................................57
6.3. Detention of separated children ......................................................................................................................................................................................58
6.4. Separation of children from unrelated adults...........................................................................................................................................................61
6.5. Legal representation for children detained alone..................................................................................................................................................61
ANNEX ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 64
Figures and tables
Figure 1:
Figure 2:
Figure 3:
Figure 4:
Figure 5:
Figure 6:
Table 1:
Figure 7:
Table A1:
Maximum length of detention set by law, EU27.....................................................................................................................................32
Maximum length of detention, by country (month)*..........................................................................................................................33
EU Member States with two upper time limits (month)....................................................................................................................34
Maximum length of detention – Trends 2009-2010 (month).........................................................................................................35
Court endorsement of detention order, EU27..........................................................................................................................................41
Existence of alternatives to detention in national law, EU27...........................................................................................................50
Types of alternatives applied by EU Member States.............................................................................................................................52
Pre-removal detention of separated children (excluding entry points), EU27..........................................................................................59
National legislations – full references and short name, EU27.........................................................................................................64