In a decision delivered on Tuesday 19 June (Case C-181/16), the European Court of Justice stated that the Member States are entitled to adopt a return decision as soon as an application for international protection is rejected, provided that the return procedure is suspended pending the outcome of an appeal against that rejection.
In 2014, the request by Mr Sadikou Gnandi, a Togolese citizen, for international protection in Belgium was rejected and he was ordered to leave the territory. He...