Migration: Malta loses European Court appeals on shorter detention periods

Malta has lost a final appeal against two European Court of Human Rights judgments demanding that migrants are kept in detention for shorter periods and that conditions at closed centres be improved.

The original judgments – in which Malta was also fined €60,000 – were handed down by the ECHR in July but they were not final as either party had three months to request that the case be referred to the Grand Chamber of the Court.

The government challenged the decisions, requesting a referral to the Grand Chamber in October but the request was rejected last week, meaning the judgments are now final and legally bind the government to pay the penalties and move to implement the ECHR’s recommendations.

Besides recommending a shorter stay for detained migrants and an improvement in conditions, the European Court had also urged the government to ensure a speedier decision-making process when asylum seekers challenged the duration of their detention.

The ECHR is an institution of the Council of Europe (not to be confused with the European Union).

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via Migration: Malta loses European Court appeals on shorter detention periods – timesofmalta.com.