The position of aliens in relation to the European Convention on Human Rights (2007)

The law of the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights relating to aliens has developed significantly over recent time. In 25 years the number of contracting States has doubled and the scope of rights and freedoms guaranteed under the convention has broadened with the adoption of new protocols.Protocol No.11 has reformed the convention control bodies and mechanisms in order to accommodate the increasing case-load. Further major amendments are foreseen by Protocol No. 14 to improve the effective operation of the ECHR faced with an ever-increasing volume of applications, whereas Protocol No.12 has enlarged the non-discrimination clause contained in Article 14 of the ECHR to "any rights set forth by law".At the same time, important demographic changes have taken place. The growing integration of the states of the European Union has created greater mobility for its citizens; and political and economic pressures have given rise to an increasing number of refugees and asylum-seekers from Europe and beyond.It is against this backdrop that the position of aliens in relation to the European Convention on Human Rights is re-examined in a third edition.