CASE OF H.F. AND OTHERS v. FRANCE
Hearing: H.F. and M.F. v. France and J.D. and A.D. v. France (nos. 24384/19 and 44234/20) (Grand Chamber hearing, 2021-09-29 00:00:00)
Application no.: 44234/20
Document type: GRANDCHAMBER
Document date: 2022-09-14 00:00:00
ECLI: ECLI:CE:ECHR:2022:0914JUD002438419
Respondent state: FRA
Articles of the Convention: 1;34;35;35-3-a;41;46;46-2;P4-3;P4-3-2
Judges: Ganna Yudkivska;Jon Fridrik Kjølbro;Krzysztof Wojtyczek;Mārtiņš Mits;Robert Spano;Síofra O'Leary;Stéphanie Mourou-Vikström;Yonko Grozev;Georges Ravarani;Ksenija Turković;Lorraine Schembri Orland
Represented by: DOSÉ M.
Issue: Inter-ministerial instruction no. 5995/SG of 23 February 2018 on “Provisions to be made for minors on their return from areas of terrorist group operations (in particular the Syria-Iraq border area)”
Strasbourg case-law cited: Abdi Ibrahim v. Norway [GC], no. 15379/16, § 180, 10 December 2021;Abdul Wahab Khan v. the United Kingdom (dec.), no. 11987/11, §§ 27-28, 28 January 2014;Airey v. Ireland, 9 October 1979, §§ 24-25, Series A no. 32;Al-Dulimi and Montana Management Inc. v. Switzerland [GC], no. 5809/08, §§ 134 and 145-146, 21 June 2016;Al-Nashif v. Bulgaria, no. 50963/99, § 123, 20 June 2002;Al-Saadoon and Mufdhi v. the United Kingdom (dec.), no. 61498/08, § 88, 30 June 2009;Al-Skeini and Others v. the United Kingdom [GC], no. 55721/07, §§ 131-142, ECHR 2011;Association “Regele Mihai” v. Romania, no. 26916/95, Commission Decision of 4 September 1995;Association Innocence en Danger and Association Enfance et Partage v. France, nos. 15343/15 and 16806/15, § 130, 4 June 2020;Banković and Others v. Belgium and Others (dec.) [GC], no. 52207/99, § 59, ECHR 2001-XII;Beghal v. the United Kingdom, no. 4755/16, § 88, 28 February 2019;Blečić v. Croatia [GC], no. 59532/00, § 67, ECHR 2006 III;Budayeva and Others v. Russia, nos. 15339/02 and 4 others, §§ 134 and 135, ECHR 2008 (extracts);C.B. v. Germany, no. 22012/93, Commission decision, 11 January 1994;Catan and Others v. the Republic of Moldova and Russia [GC], nos. 43370/04 and 2 others, § 103, ECHR 2012 (extracts);Centre for Legal Resources on behalf of Valentin Câmpeanu v. Romania [GC], no. 47848/08, §§ 102, 103 and 110, ECHR 2014;Cyprus v. Turkey, Commission decision, § 8, 26 May 1975, no. 6780/74;De Wilde, Ooms and Versyp v. Belgium (Article 50), 10 March 1972, § 22, Series A no. 14;Georgia v. Russia (II) [GC] (merits), no. 38263/08, 21 January 2021;Ghoumid and Others v. France, nos. 52273/16 and 4 others, 25 June 2020;Golder v. the United Kingdom, 21 February 1975, § 26, Series A no. 18;Gray v. Germany, no. 49278/09, 22 May 2014;Grzęda v. Poland [GC], no. 43572/18, § 342, 15 March 2022;Güzelyurtlu and Others v. Cyprus and Turkey [GC], no. 36925/07, 29 January 2019;Habsburg-Lothringen v. Austria, no. 15344/89, Commission Decision, 14 December 1989;Hanan v. Germany [GC], no. 4871/16, §§ 133-142, 16 February 2021;Hashemi and Others v. Azerbaijan, nos. 1480/16 and 6 others, § 47, 13 January 2022;Hassan and Others v. France, nos. 46695/10 and 54588/10, § 39, 4 December 2014;Hirsi Jamaa and Others v. Italy [GC], no. 27765/09, §§ 52 and 53, ECHR 2012;Janowiec and Others v. Russia [GC], nos. 55508/07 and 29520/09, § 213, ECHR 2013;K2 v. the United Kingdom (dec.), no. 42387/13, 7 February 2017;Khan v. France, no. 12267/16, § 74, 28 February 2019;Kurt v. Austria [GC], no. 62903/15, §§ 157 et seq., 15 June 2021;Lambert and Others v. France [GC], no. 46043/14, ECHR 2015 (extracts);Leyla Şahin v. Turkey [GC], no. 44774/98, § 152, ECHR 2005-XI;Lopes de Sousa Fernandes v. Portugal [GC], no. 56080/13, § 216, 19 December 2017;M. and Others v. Italy and Bulgaria, no. 40020/03, § 127, 31 July 2012;M.N. and Others v. Belgium (dec.) [GC], no. 3599/18, 5 May 2020;Magyar Helsinki Bizottság v. Hungary [GC], no. 18030/11, §§ 118-125, 8 November 2016;Marangos v. Cyprus, no. 31106/96, Commission decision of 20 May 1997;Marckx v. Belgium, 13 June 1979, § 31, Series A no. 31;Markovic and Others v. Italy [GC], no. 1398/03, ECHR 2006-XIV;Mathieu-Mohin and Clerfayt v. Belgium, 2 March 1987, § 52, Series A no. 113;Mediterraneum joint venture and 10 other applications v. Italy (dec.), no. 351/05, 29 April 2008;Medvedyev and Others v. France [GC], no. 3394/03, § 81, ECHR 2010;Momcilovic v. Croatia (dec.), no. 59138/00, 29 August 2002;Muhammad and Muhammad v. Romania [GC], no. 80982/12, §§ 122-201, 15 October 2020;N.D. and N.T. v. Spain [GC], nos. 8675/15 and 8697/15, § 171, 13 February 2020;Nada v. Switzerland [GC], no. 10593/08, § 164, ECHR 2012;Naumov v. Albania (dec.), no. 10513/03, 4 January 2005;Nessa and Others v. Finland (dec.), no. 31862/02, 6 May 2003;Pişkin v. Turkey, no. 33399/18, § 227, 15 December 2020;S. v. Germany, no. 11659/85, Commission decision, 17 October 1986;Slivenko and Others v. Latvia (dec.) [GC], no. 48321/99, § 77, ECHR 2002 II (extracts);Soering v. the United Kingdom, 7 July 1989, § 86, Series A no. 161;Tagayeva and Others v. Russia, nos. 26562/07 and 6 others, § 481, 13 April 2017;Ukraine v. Russia (re Crimea) (dec.) [GC], nos. 20958/14 and 38334/18, § 344, 16 December 2020;Usmanov v. Russia, no. 43936/18, § 54, 22 December 2020;Verein gegen Tierfabriken Schweiz (VgT) v. Switzerland (no. 2) [GC], no. 32772/02, § 81, ECHR 2009;Victor-Emmanuel De Savoie v. Italy (striking out), no. 53360/99, 24 April 2003;X and Others v. Bulgaria [GC], no. 22457/16, § 182 and 197, 2 February 2021
External sources: Article 12 § 4 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR);United Nations Human Rights Committee’s (UNCCPR) General Comment no. 27 on the Freedom of Movement under Article 12 of the ICCPR, adopted on 1 November 1999 (UN Documents CCPR/C/21/Rev.1/Add.9);Article 19 of the International Law Commission (ILC) Draft Articles on Diplomatic Protection and commentary;Vienna Convention on Consular Relations adopted on 24 April 1963;Article 13 § 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;Article 12 § 2 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights;Article 10 of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), adopted on 20 November 1989;Explanatory Report to Protocol No. 4 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, securing certain rights and freedoms other than those
already included in the Convention and in the first Protocol thereto (STE no. 46);Four Geneva Conventions of 1949;Rule 144 of the International Committee of the Red Cross study on Customary International Humanitarian Law;Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, following her visit to France from 14 to 23 May 2018 (A/HRC/40/52/Add.4, 8 May 2019);Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and Committee of Ministers (PACE) Recommendation 2169 (2020), entitled “International obligations concerning the repatriation of children from war and conflict zones”, adopted on 30 January 2020;Reply to Recommendation 2169, adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 8 December 2020 (at the 1391st meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies);PACE Resolution 2321 (2020) adopted on 30 January 2020;PACE Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development Declaration adopted on 16 March 2021;European Parliament Resolution on the rights of the child (2019/2876 (RSP)), adopted on 26 November 2019;European Parliament Resolution on the Syrian conflict – 10 years after the uprising (2021/2576 (RSP)), adopted on 11 March 2021

Conclusion: Preliminary objection dismissed (Art. 34) Individual applications;(Art. 34) Locus standi;Remainder inadmissible (Art. 35) Admissibility criteria;(Art. 35-3-a) Ratione loci;(Art. 35-3-a) Ratione personae;Violation of Article 3 of Protocol No. 4 - Prohibition of expulsion of nationals (Article 3 para. 2 of Protocol No. 4 - Enter own country);Respondent State to take individual measures (Article 46-2 - Individual measures);Non-pecuniary damage - finding of violation sufficient (Article 41 - Non-pecuniary damage;Just satisfaction)
Separate opinion: TRUE