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Justice Matrix · Case profile

CASE OF S.S. AND OTHERS v. HUNGARY (no. 56417/19)

Council of Europe (ECtHR)2023
FavorableLow precedentNeeds review
Needs review

Machine-found from the cited source, not yet confirmed by a human. Open the source before relying on it.

Strategic issue

What was at stake

Whether the applicants' removal to Serbia would constitute a collective expulsion of aliens and expose them to a real risk of treatment contrary to the prohibition of torture.

Facts

What happened

The applicants, a group of individuals from Afghanistan, were apprehended by Hungarian authorities while attempting to cross into Hungary from Serbia. They were subsequently detained and faced removal to Serbia, where they feared they would be subjected to inhumane treatment and lack of adequate protection.

Key holding

What the court decided

The Court held that the applicants' removal to Serbia violated the prohibition of collective expulsion of aliens and the prohibition of torture, and awarded the applicants non‑pecuniary damages.

Reasoning

How the court got there

The Court found that the removal of the applicants to Serbia would expose them to a real risk of treatment contrary to the prohibition of torture, as Serbia was not considered a safe third country for asylum seekers. The Court emphasized that the applicants had not been afforded proper individual assessments of their situations, which is necessary to prevent collective expulsion.

Authorities

Statutes and cases cited

Statutes & treaties
  • § Refugee Convention art. 33
Cases cited
  • Plaintiff M70/2011 v Minister
Issue areas

Categories

article-3article-4-prot-4asylumnon-refoulementrefugee
Source

Authoritative link

Source of record
https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-228029
Disclaimer and licence

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