European Court of Justice Criticized for Expanding Asylum Obligations

An opinion piece argues that recent rulings of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) misinterpret human‑rights law by obligating member states to tolerate individuals who have entered the EU illegally. The author contends that the court forces countries to refrain from automatically deporting such persons, requiring them to provide shelter and then consider asylum claims, even when the individuals do not face persecution.

The article stresses that the right to immigrate does not exist, only a limited right to asylum for people in serious danger, such as journalists or political activists fleeing persecution (e.g., in Russia). It claims that granting asylum to the vast majority of applicants without such grounds undermines state sovereignty and encourages further illegal crossings, posing security and legal challenges for EU nations.