Strasbourg Observers

View posts from: Sovereignty

  • Ellen Desmet, Eva Sevrin and Thomas Spijkerboer

Expert report: How strict is the European Court of Human Rights in migration cases?

February 18, 2026

Expert report drafted by Ellen Desmet (Ghent University), Eva Sevrin (KU Leuven, Ghent University) and Thomas Spijkerboer (Ghent University)[i] Introduction On 10 December 2025, 27 Council of Europe states adopted a statement expressing their concerns about the migration case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). They believe that the ECtHR imposes too […]

  • Harriet Ní Chinnéide and Eva Sevrin

Restoring Balance: A Critical Response to the Open Letter on Migration and Human Rights

June 17, 2025

By Harriet Ní Chinnéide and Eva Sevrin On 22 May 2025, a coalition of nine European states, spearheaded by Denmark and Italy, issued an open letter calling for a shift in the European Court of Human Rights’ (ECtHR) interpretative approach in the field of migration and in cases concerning ‘irregular migration’ and the expulsion of […]