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A reference for a preliminary ruling concerning the impact Article 41 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights on return decisions was published this week by the CJEU. It was lodged on 3 April 2013 by the Tribunal administratif de Melun (France) and the questions read as follows:

Request for a preliminary ruling - Common European Asylum System - Application by a national of a third country seeking refugee status - Directive 2005/85/EC - Article 23 - Possibility of prioritising the processing of asylum applications - National procedure applying in a prioritised procedure for the examination of applications by persons belonging to a certain category defined on the basis of nationality or country of origin - Right to an effective judicial remedy - Article 39 of Directive 2005/85 - Concept of "court or tribunal" within the meaning of that article

The applicants are a married couple of Bosnian nationality. Mrs. Hasanbasic obtained a settlement permit in Switzerland in 1979. After they had married some years later, Mr. Hasanbasic obtained a settlement permit too. In 2004, he informed the authorities that he intended to return permanently to his country of origin and his settlement permit expired. However, he returned in December of the same year on a tourist visa. Mrs. Hasanbasic submitted a request for family reunification, but this was rejected by the authorities and courts, arguing that Mr.

On 6 April a series of changes to the British immigration legislation will come into force. They concern various issues, among them the leave to remain granted to unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors. The length of leave will be reduced from 36 to 30 months or until the minor reaches the age of 17 and a half. Leave to remain will cease in the case of misrepresentation or omission of facts which led to the initial grant.