The Immigrants and Refugees' Right to Family Life: Legal Development and Implementation from a Comparative Perspective
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The Immigrants and Refugees’ Right to Family Life: Legal Development and Implementation from a Comparative Perspective Georgios Milios ADVERTIMENT . La consulta d’aquesta tesi queda condicionada a l’acceptació de les següents condicions d'ús: La difusió d’aquesta tesi per mitjà del servei TDX ( www.tdx.cat ) i a través del Dipòsit Digital de la UB ( diposit.ub.edu ) ha estat autoritzada pels titulars dels drets de propietat intel·lectual únicament per a usos privats emmarcats en activitats d’investig ació i docència. No s’autoritza la seva reproducció amb finalitats de lucre ni la seva difusió i posada a disposició des d’un lloc aliè al servei TDX ni al Dipòsit Digital de la UB . No s’autoritza la presentació del seu contingut en una finestra o marc ali è a TDX o al Dipòsit Digital de la UB (framing). Aquesta reserva de drets afecta tant al resum de presentació de la tesi com als seus continguts. En la utilització o cita de parts de la tesi és obligat indicar el nom de la persona autora. ADVERTENCIA . La consulta de esta tesis queda condicionada a la aceptación de las siguientes condiciones de uso: La difusión de esta tesis por medio del servicio TDR ( www.tdx.cat ) y a través del Repositorio Digital de la UB ( diposit.ub.edu ) ha sido autorizada por los titu lares de los derechos de propiedad intelectual únicamente para usos privados enmarcados en actividades de investigación y docencia. No se autoriza su reproducción con finalidades de lucro ni su difusión y puesta a disposición desde un sitio ajeno al servic io TDR o al Repositorio Digital de la UB . No se autoriza la presentación de su contenido en una ventana o marco ajeno a TDR o al Repositorio Digital de la UB (framing). Esta reserva de derechos afecta tanto al resumen de presentación de la tesis como a sus contenidos. En la utilización o cita de partes de la tesis es obligado indicar el nombre de la persona autora. WARNING . On having consulted this thesis you’re accepting the following use conditions: Spreading this thesis by the TDX ( www.tdx.cat ) servic e and by the UB Digital Repository ( diposit.ub.edu ) has been authorized by the titular of the intellectual property rights only for private uses placed in investigation and teaching activities. Reproduction with lucrati ve aims is not authorized n or its spr eading and availability from a site foreign to the TDX service or to the UB Digital Repository . Introducing its content in a window or frame foreign to the TDX service or to the UB Digital Repository is not authorized (framing). Tho s e rights affect to the presentation summary of the thesis as well as to its contents. In the using or citation of parts of the thesis it’s obliged to indicate the name of the author. PhD THESIS TESIS DOCTORAL The Immigrants and Refugees’ Right to Family Life: Legal Development and Implementation from a Comparative Perspective GEORGIOS MILIOS Director and tutor: Dr. David Moya Malapeira PhD programme: Law and political science Research line: Constitutional law Programa de doctorado: Derecho y ciencia política Línea de investigación: Derecho constitucional University of Barcelona Faculty of Law Department of Constitutional Law and Political Science 2016 Georgios Milios –The Immigrants and Refugees’ Right to Family Life: Legal Development and Implementation from a Comparative Perspective 2 Georgios Milios –The Immigrants and Refugees’ Right to Family Life: Legal Development and Implementation from a Comparative Perspective TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................. 13 ABSTRACTS .......................................................................................................................... 15 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 17 PART I: INTRODUCTION TO THE LEGAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL CONCEPTS IN THE FIELD OF FAMILY LIFE .......................................................................................... 21 PART II: THE PROTECTION OF THE IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES’ FAMILY IN INTERNATIONAL LAW ................................................................................................ 31 CHAPTER 1: THE PROTECTION OF FAMILY IN THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS INSTRUMENTS AND THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL CHARTER ..................................... 31 1.1 Overview of the International Human Rights instruments that protect the immigrant and refugee’s family ............................................................................................................... 31 1.2 The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ........................................... 34 1.2.1 Introductory remarks ................................................................................................... 34 1.2.2 The legal concept of family ......................................................................................... 35 1.2.3 Family reunification cases ........................................................................................... 38 1.2.4 Expulsion cases ........................................................................................................... 39 1.2.5 The UNHRC’s case law .............................................................................................. 41 1.3 The Convention on the Rights of the Child.................................................................... 45 1.4 The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families ............................................................................. 46 1.5 The 1951 Geneva Convention on the status of refugees ............................................... 47 1.6 The European Social Charter ......................................................................................... 49 CHAPTER 2: ARTICLE 8 OF THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS .................................................................................................................................. 55 2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 55 2.2 Definition and scope of ‘family life’ ................................................................................ 57 2.2.1 The main relationships that are considered as ‘family life’ ........................................ 57 2.2.2 ‘Family life’ outside the notion of ‘core family’ in non-migration cases ................... 58 2.2.3 ‘Family life’ outside the notion of ‘core family’ in migration cases .......................... 61 2.3 ‘Respect’ for family life .................................................................................................... 67 2.3.1 Positive vs. negative obligations ................................................................................. 67 3 Georgios Milios –The Immigrants and Refugees’ Right to Family Life: Legal Development and Implementation from a Comparative Perspective 2.3.2 The ECtHR’s conception of the notion of ‘respect’ in admission cases ..................... 67 2.3.3 Comments on the ECtHR’s conception of the notion of ‘respect’ in admission cases 72 2.3.4 The ECtHR’s conception of the notion of ‘respect’ in expulsion cases ...................... 74 2.4 ‘In accordance with the law’ ........................................................................................... 75 2.5 In pursuit of a legitimate aim .......................................................................................... 76 2.6 ‘Necessary in a democratic society’ ................................................................................ 77 2.6.1 Introduction to the application of the proportionality test ........................................... 77 2.6.2 The ‘second-generation’ migrants ............................................................................... 78 2.6.3 The ‘Boultif criteria’ ................................................................................................... 79 2.6.4 Comments on the ‘Boultif criteria’ .............................................................................. 81 2.6.5 The criminal offences .................................................................................................. 83 2.6.6 The best interest of the child ....................................................................................... 86 2.6.7 Article 8 and irregular migration ................................................................................. 88 PART III: THE EU LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND THE NATIONAL LEGISLATION OF THE EU MEMBER STATES......................................................................................... 91 CHAPTER 1: EU FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND THE MEMBER STATES’ CONSTITUTIONS................................................................................................................. 91 1.1 Overview of the EU free movement, immigration and refugee law and the emerging role of fundamental rights in the EU .................................................................................... 91 1.1.1 The historical background of the EU free movement, immigration, asylum and refugee law ........................................................................................................................... 91 1.1.2 The role of fundamental rights in the EU .................................................................... 94 1.2 Basic constitutional issues in the EU countries and applicable