On 3 September 2026, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) communicated the case Matoussi v. Denmark (Application no. 26840/26), concerning the residence and reporting obligations imposed on the applicant following an expulsion order that could not be implemented, and their alleged incompatibility with Articles 3, 5, 8 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
The applicant, a Tunisian national born in Denmark, was ordered to be expelled with a permanent re-entry ban following criminal proceedings in 2018. As his removal could not be carried out, in May 2019 the Return Agency required him to reside over night at the Kærshovedgård return centre and to register with the police at the centre during the day. The order was subsequently prolonged. The applicant challenged the measures before the domestic courts, but his claim was dismissed and permission to appeal to the Supreme Court was refused in March 2026. It appears that he has left Denmark voluntarily.
The Court asked the parties, inter alia, whether the applicant’s living conditions at the return centre amounted to treatment contrary to Article 3 ECHR and whether the residence and reporting obligations amounted to a violation of Article 5 ECHR.