Irregularly Staying Third-Country Nationals and Their Right to Regularise under EU Law

Kevin Fredy Hinterberger

Irregularly Staying Third-Country Nationals and Their Right to Regularise under EU Law | PIL.OT

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Academic publicationMigration and foreign nationals lawEuropean Union31 March 2026

Irregularly Staying Third-Country Nationals and Their Right to Regularise under EU Law

Kevin Fredy Hinterberger0 views

Image: Samuel Zeller / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) + Rob Bye / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · PIL.OT editorial composite · CC0-1.0

Development summary

The article addresses whether irregularly staying third-country nationals can be regularised under EU law, focusing in particular on Article 6(4) of the Return Directive. On the abstract’s account, Member States may choose between return proceedings and regularisation, but the author argues that regularisation becomes obligatory in three situations: a real risk of refoulement, permanent non-returnability, and the best interests of the child. The piece also considers how this reading relates to fundamental rights.

Open original publication ↗Irregularly Staying Third-Country Nationals and Their Right to Regularise under EU Law

PIL.OT RESEARCH NOTE

Research note

Issue

Whether EU law, specifically Article 6(4) of the Return Directive, obliges Member States to regularise irregularly staying third-country nationals

Concepts

migration and asylum academic research EU private international law human rights legislation non-refoulement

+2 more

residence permits temporary protection

ACADEMIC CITATION

Academic details

Kevin Fredy Hinterberger