Legal Aid in Return Procedures

The Court of Justice of the European Union has recently delivered at least 26 rulings interpreting the Return Directive. Most of the cases related to the potential interference of national laws implementing the Return Directive with fundamental rights and several of them concerned procedural safeguards. One of the most important procedural right foreseen in the Return Directive is the right of access to free legal aid. The project will enable FRA to have an overview of the situation in Hungary regarding the availability of free legal aid to persons in return procedures. This information is essential for FRA to support effectively the European Commission as well as EU Member States with fundamental rights expertise as concerns the provision of free legal aid to persons in return procedures.