62023CJ0636_SUM
Joined Cases C‑636/23 and C‑637/23 [Al Hoceima] (
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W
v
Belgische Staat and X v État belge
(Requests for a preliminary rulingfrom the Raad voor Vreemdelingenbetwistingen and the Conseil du Contentieux des Étrangers)
Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 1 August 2025
(References for a preliminary ruling – Border controls, asylum and immigration – Immigration policy – Directive 2008/115/EC – Common standards and procedures in Member States for returning illegally staying third-country nationals – Article 3(4) and (6), Article 7(1) and (4), Article 8(1) and (2), Article 11(1) and Article 13 – Article 47 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union – Return decision – Decision not to grant a period for voluntary departure – Entry ban – Actionable administrative act – Enforceability of a return decision not containing a provision relating to the period for voluntary departure – Right to an effective remedy – Entry ban decision adopted after a considerable period of time)
Border controls, asylum and immigration – Immigration policy – Return of illegally staying third-country nationals – Directive 2008/115 – Return decision – Decision not to grant a period for voluntary departure – Decision not to grant regarded merely as an enforcement measure not altering the legal position of the third-country national concerned – Not permissible
(Art. 79(2) TFEU; European Parliament and Council Directive 2008/115, recitals 2 and 11 and Arts 6, 7, 8(1) and (2), 11(1), 14(1), 16 and 17)
(see paragraphs 44-51, operative part 1)
Border controls, asylum and immigration – Immigration policy – Return of illegally staying third-country nationals – Directive 2008/115 – Return decision – Decision not to grant a period for voluntary departure – Obligation to ensure that the third-country national concerned has the right to an effective remedy against that decision
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; European Parliament and Council Directive 2008/115, Arts 7(1) and (4), 12(1) and 13)
(see paragraphs 54-57, operative part 2)
Border controls, asylum and immigration – Immigration policy – Return of illegally staying third-country nationals – Directive 2008/115 – Return decision not granting a period for voluntary departure – Imposition of an entry ban on the basis of that decision after a considerable period of time – Whether permissible
(European Parliament and Council Directive 2008/115, Arts 3(6) and 11(1))
(see paragraphs 63-67, operative part 3)
Border controls, asylum and immigration – Immigration policy – Return of illegally staying third-country nationals – Directive 2008/115 – Return decision – Definition – Provision relating to the grant or otherwise of a period for voluntary departure or to the duration of that period – Provision forming an integral part of the obligation to return imposed or set out by that decision – Effects of a finding that such a provision is unlawful – Annulment of the return decision in its entirety
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; European Parliament and Council Directive 2008/115, recitals 6 and 10 and Arts 3(3) and (4), 7 and 13)
(see paragraphs 73-82, operative part 4)
See the text of the decision.
(
i
)	The name of the present case is a fictitious name. It does not correspond to the real name of any of the parties to the proceedings.