Migration Jurisprudence from the South › Italy
Khlaifia v. Italy (Grand Chamber)
European Court of Human Rights · Italy · 2016-12-15 · Regional court or body
Citation: App. no. 16483/12
Type of case: Constitutional and human rights
Outcome: Decided for the migrant side
Question
Were Tunisian migrants held at Lampedusa and returned under a readmission deal unlawfully detained and collectively expelled?
What the court decided
The detention lacked a legal basis and judicial review (Article 5 violated), but there was no collective expulsion because each received an individual identification.
In plain language
Tunisian men who arrived by boat were held on Lampedusa and on ships without a legal basis, then flown home. The Grand Chamber found unlawful detention but not a collective expulsion.
Dalam bahasa sederhana
Pria Tunisia yang tiba dengan perahu ditahan di Lampedusa dan di kapal tanpa dasar hukum, lalu diterbangkan pulang. Majelis Agung menyatakan penahanan tidak sah tetapi bukan pengusiran kolektif.
Pertanyaan: Apakah migran Tunisia yang ditahan di Lampedusa dan dipulangkan lewat perjanjian readmisi ditahan secara tidak sah dan diusir secara kolektif?
What happened afterwards
- 2011-09: Detention and return.
- 2016-12-15: Judgment.
Sources
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Cite as: Institute for Migrant Rights (2026), Migration Jurisprudence from the South, version 0.1, https://theimr.org/court-decisions/d/echr-khlaifia-2016/. This page summarizes a court decision for research and advocacy; it is not legal advice.