Case Law

The case concerned the immediate return to Morocco of two nationals of Mali and Côte d’Ivoire who on 13 August 2014 attempted to enter Spanish territory in an unauthorised manner by climbing the fences surrounding the Spanish enclave of Melilla on the North African coast. The Court considered that the applicants had in fact placed themselves in an unlawful situation when they had deliberately attempted to enter Spain on 13 August 2014 by crossing the Melilla border protection structures as part of a large group and at an unauthorised location, taking advantage of the group’s large numbers and using force. They had thus chosen not to use the legal procedures which existed in order to enter Spanish territory lawfully. Consequently, the Court considered that the lack of individual removal decisions could be attributed to the fact that the applicants – assuming that they had wished to assert rights under the Convention – had not made use of the official entry procedures existing for that purpose, and that it had thus been a consequence of their own conduct. In so far as it had found that the lack of an individualised procedure for their removal had been the consequence of the applicants’ own conduct, the Court could not hold the respondent State responsible for the lack of a legal remedy in Melilla enabling them to challenge that removal.

13 February 2020 | Judicial Body: Council of Europe: European Court of Human Rights | Legal Instrument: 1950 European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) | Topic(s): Effective remedy - Expulsion - Non-refoulement - Rejection at border | Countries: Côte d'Ivoire - Mali - Morocco - Spain

This case was referred to the Grand Chamber on 29/01/2018. The Grand Chamber took a final decision on 13 February 2020, see related documents for the Grand Chamber decision.

3 October 2017 | Judicial Body: Council of Europe: European Court of Human Rights | Legal Instrument: 1950 European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) | Topic(s): Deportation / Forcible return - Effective remedy - Expulsion - Refoulement | Countries: Côte d'Ivoire - Mali - Morocco - Spain

Le Conseil d'Etat statuant au contentieux. Sur le rapport de la 10ème sous-section de la Section du contentieux.

21 December 2012 | Judicial Body: France: Conseil d'Etat | Topic(s): Female genital mutilation (FGM) | Countries: Côte d'Ivoire - France

Le Conseil d'Etat statuant au contentieux. Sur le rapport de la 10ème sous-section de la Section du contentieux.

21 December 2012 | Judicial Body: France: Conseil d'Etat | Topic(s): Female genital mutilation (FGM) | Countries: Côte d'Ivoire - France

Appeal dismissed on grounds that the applicant’s actions as a member of a group that burned passenger buses and cars, threw stones, and disrupted the economic activity of merchants in the market, while pretending to be from the opposition party in order to discredit such party, reached the level of serious criminal conduct which outweighed its political nature and therefore constituted a serious nonpolitical crime.

11 September 2012 | Judicial Body: United States Board of Immigration Appeals | Countries: Côte d'Ivoire - United States of America

20 February 2012 | Judicial Body: Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada | Countries: Canada - Côte d'Ivoire - France

This judgment has become final under Article 44 § 2 of the Convention. It may be subject to editorial revision.

20 September 2011 | Judicial Body: Council of Europe: European Court of Human Rights | Topic(s): Asylum-seekers - Immigration Detention - Right to liberty and security | Countries: Côte d'Ivoire - Hungary

Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration Appeals. Petition denied.

23 May 2011 | Judicial Body: United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit | Countries: Côte d'Ivoire - United States of America

Inédit au recueil Lebon. La décision du 4 mars 2008 de la Cour nationale du droit d'asile est annulée. L'affaire est renvoyée à la Cour nationale du droit d'asile.

17 December 2010 | Judicial Body: France: Conseil d'Etat | Topic(s): Complementary forms of protection - Conflict situation - EU Qualification Directive - Elections - Opposition - Persecution based on political opinion - Political groups | Countries: Côte d'Ivoire - France