Justice Matrix · Issues
Vulnerability and special procedural protection
How does the law treat asylum seekers who are children, survivors of torture, or otherwise at heightened risk?
The procedural-protection thread that runs through the asylum and Article 3 records, gathered as one issue.
63 cases2 campaigns2011–2026
20112026
The Law63
FavorablehighSource checked
Ilias and Ahmed v Hungary (GC), App No 47287/15 (2019)
ECtHR (Grand Chamber) · 2019
FavorablehighSource checked
Lawyers for Human Rights v Minister of Home Affairs [2017] ZACC 22
Constitutional Court of South Africa · 2017
FavorablehighSource checked
M.S.S. v Belgium and Greece (GC), App No 30696/09
ECtHR (Grand Chamber) · 2011
anchorFavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF J.B. v. GREECE (no. 54796/16)
2026
anchorFavorableNeeds review
CASE OF O.H. AND OTHERS v. SERBIA (no. 57185/17)
2026
FavorablehighNeeds review
CASE OF A.R.E. v. GREECE (no. 15783/21)
2025
FavorablehighNeeds review
CASE OF VEREIN KLIMASENIORINNEN SCHWEIZ AND OTHERS v. SWITZERLAND (no. 53600/20)
2024
FavorablehighNeeds review
CASE OF H.F. AND OTHERS v. FRANCE (no. 24384/19)
European Court of Human Rights · 2022
FavorablehighNeeds review
CASE OF GEORGIA v. RUSSIA (II) (no. 38263/08)
European Court of Human Rights · 2021
FavorablehighNeeds review
CASE OF BIVOLARU AND MOLDOVAN v. FRANCE (no. 40324/16)
European Court of Human Rights · 2021
FavorablehighNeeds review
CASE OF SAVRAN v. DENMARK (no. 57467/15)
European Court of Human Rights · 2021
FavorablehighNeeds review
CASE OF K.I. v. FRANCE (no. 5560/19)
European Court of Human Rights · 2021
FavorablehighNeeds review
CASE OF M.K. AND OTHERS v. POLAND (no. 40503/17)
European Court of Human Rights · 2020
AdversehighNeeds review
CASE OF N.D. AND N.T. v. SPAIN (no. 8675/15)
European Court of Human Rights · 2020
FavorablehighNeeds review
CASE OF Z.A. AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA (no. 61411/15)
European Court of Human Rights · 2017
FavorablemediumNeeds review
CASE OF HUSAYN (ABU ZUBAYDAH) v. POLAND (no. 7511/13)
European Court of Human Rights · 2014
FavorablemediumNeeds review
CASE OF AL NASHIRI v. POLAND (no. 28761/11)
European Court of Human Rights · 2014
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF AL NASHIRI v. LITHUANIA (no. 31908/22)
European Court of Human Rights · 2026
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF D.M. v. SWEDEN (no. 32694/23)
2026
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF Y.K. v. CROATIA (no. 38776/21)
2025
AdverselowNeeds review
CASE OF Z AND OTHERS v. FINLAND (no. 42758/23)
2025
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF H.Q. AND OTHERS v. HUNGARY (no. 46084/21)
2025
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF KUNSHUGAROV v. TÜRKİYE (no. 60811/15)
2025
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF A.B. AND Y.W. v. MALTA (no. 2559/23)
2025
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF H.A. AND OTHERS v. HUNGARY (no. 39498/18)
2025
AdverselowNeeds review
CASE OF Y AND OTHERS v. SWITZERLAND (no. 9577/21)
2024
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF H.T. v. GERMANY AND GREECE (no. 13337/19)
2024
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF M.A. AND Z.R. v. CYPRUS (no. 39090/20)
2024
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF K.J. AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA (no. 27584/20)
2024
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF SHEROV AND OTHERS v. POLAND (no. 54029/17)
2024
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF A.M.A. v. THE NETHERLANDS (no. 23048/19)
2023
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF S.S. AND OTHERS v. HUNGARY (no. 56417/19)
2023
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF ISRAILOV v. RUSSIA (no. 21882/09)
2023
AdverselowNeeds review
CASE OF W.A. AND OTHERS v. ITALY (no. 18787/17)
2023
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF ALHOWAIS v. HUNGARY (no. 59435/17)
2023
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF W.A. AND OTHERS v. HUNGARY (no. 64050/16)
2022
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF A.B. AND OTHERS v. POLAND (no. 42907/17)
European Court of Human Rights · 2022
AdverselowNeeds review
CASE OF A.A. AND OTHERS v. NORTH MACEDONIA (no. 55798/16)
European Court of Human Rights · 2022
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF A.I. AND OTHERS v. POLAND (no. 39028/17)
European Court of Human Rights · 2022
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF S.H. v. MALTA (no. 37241/21)
2022
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF T.Z. AND OTHERS v. POLAND (no. 41764/17)
European Court of Human Rights · 2022
AdverselowNeeds review
CASE OF KHASANOV AND RAKHMANOV v. RUSSIA (no. 28492/15)
European Court of Human Rights · 2022
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF O.M. AND D.S. v. UKRAINE (no. 18603/12)
European Court of Human Rights · 2022
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF D.A. AND OTHERS v. POLAND (no. 51246/17)
European Court of Human Rights · 2021
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF M.D. AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA (no. 71321/17)
European Court of Human Rights · 2021
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF M.H. AND OTHERS v. CROATIA (no. 15670/18)
European Court of Human Rights · 2021
AdverselowNeeds review
CASE OF B AND C v. SWITZERLAND (no. 889/19)
European Court of Human Rights · 2020
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF HAGHILO v. CYPRUS (no. 47920/12)
European Court of Human Rights · 2019
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF N.A. v. FINLAND (no. 25244/18)
European Court of Human Rights · 2019
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF M.A. AND OTHERS v. LITHUANIA (no. 59793/17)
European Court of Human Rights · 2018
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF S.Z. v. GREECE (no. 66702/13)
European Court of Human Rights · 2018
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF X v. SWITZERLAND (no. 16744/14)
European Court of Human Rights · 2017
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF BABAJANOV v. TURKEY (no. 49867/08)
European Court of Human Rights · 2016
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF F.G. v. SWEDEN (no. 43611/11)
European Court of Human Rights · 2016
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF U.N. v. RUSSIA (no. 14348/15)
European Court of Human Rights · 2016
AdverselowNeeds review
CASE OF J.K. AND OTHERS v. SWEDEN (no. 59166/12)
European Court of Human Rights · 2016
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF KHLAIFIA AND OTHERS v. ITALY (no. 16483/12)
European Court of Human Rights · 2016
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF V.M. AND OTHERS v. BELGIUM (no. 60125/11)
European Court of Human Rights · 2015
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF L.M. AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA (no. 40081/14)
European Court of Human Rights · 2015
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF S.J. v. BELGIUM (no. 70055/10)
European Court of Human Rights · 2015
AdverselowNeeds review
CASE OF TATAR v. SWITZERLAND (no. 65692/12)
European Court of Human Rights · 2015
FavorablelowNeeds review
CASE OF TARAKHEL v. SWITZERLAND (no. 29217/12)
European Court of Human Rights · 2014
FavorableNeeds review
J.B. and Others v. Malta (no. 1766/23)
2024
The Movement2
Community context0
Lived-experience accounts for this issue are not in the matrix yet. Contribute one.
What the courts held
The doctrine, in the courts’ own holdings.
Held for protection (53)
“Found violations linked to inadequate assessment of risk on return to Serbia; guidance on Article 3/13 standards in border zones.”
Ilias and Ahmed v Hungary (GC), App No 47287/15 (2019) (2019)Source checked
“Sections authorising prolonged detention without prompt judicial review unconstitutional; strengthened safeguards for non-nationals.”
Lawyers for Human Rights v Minister of Home Affairs [2017] ZACC 22 (2017)Source checked
“Violations of Articles 3 and 13 due to conditions and procedural deficiencies; landmark on reception standards and transfer suspensions.”
M.S.S. v Belgium and Greece (GC), App No 30696/09 (2011)Source checked
“The Court held that the applicant's removal would expose him to a real risk of torture or degrading treatment, violating the prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment, while finding no violation of the ri…”
CASE OF J.B. v. GREECE (no. 54796/16) (2026)Needs review
Held against (9)
“The Court dismissed the applications, holding that the expulsion did not breach the prohibition of collective expulsion and that the applicants’ right to an effective remedy was not violated.”
CASE OF N.D. AND N.T. v. SPAIN (no. 8675/15) (2020)Needs review
“The Court declared the remainder of the application inadmissible, finding the remaining complaints to be clearly unmeritorious, and held that there was no violation of the right to respect for private and family life.”
CASE OF Z AND OTHERS v. FINLAND (no. 42758/23) (2025)Needs review
“The Court held that the applicants' expulsion to Albania would not expose them to a real risk of treatment contrary to the right to life under Article 2 or to the prohibition of torture under Article 3, and therefore fou…”
CASE OF Y AND OTHERS v. SWITZERLAND (no. 9577/21) (2024)Needs review
“The Court declared the remainder of the application inadmissible as manifestly ill‑founded and, on the merits, held that the applicants’ expulsion to Sudan would not violate the prohibition of torture under Article 3.”
CASE OF W.A. AND OTHERS v. ITALY (no. 18787/17) (2023)Needs review
Playbook
What worked, what failed, what is reusable.
The pattern. Heightened-risk applicants (children, survivors of torture, the seriously ill) attract extra procedural protection. This issue gathers the real records carrying these tags.
What to look for. Whether an individual vulnerability assessment was made, whether that assessment changed the procedure, and how the protection claim connected to the non-refoulement question.
This is a research resource, not legal advice. Read the linked source before acting on it.
Research resource, not legal advice. Read the original source before acting. Cases and campaigns are gathered by shared issue tags; some may be machine-extracted and pending human review.