On Tuesday 7 March, to the disappointment of NGOs but to the great relief of many governments, particularly the Belgian government, the Court of Justice of the European Union concluded that Member States are not required, under EU law, to grant a humanitarian visa to persons who wish to enter their territory with a view to applying for asylum, even if these people face inhumane and degrading conditions.
Theo Francken, the Belgian Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration greeted this as a...