Information Note on the Court’s case-law 20

July 2000

Abbas v. France - 35783/97

Judgment 20.7.2000 [Section III]

Article 8

Article 8-1

Respect for family life

Expulsion of foreigner from the country where he had lived for most of his life: friendly settlement

The applicant entered France in 1972 at the age of six years. He is the eldest of a family of eight brothers and sisters, several of whom are of French nat ionality. The family all live in France. Following his conviction in 1991 for drug trafficking, an order excluding him from French territory was made. He returned to France illegally in 1993 and a fresh exclusion order was made for a three-year period. Fol lowing the expiry of that period, the applicant applied for a visa to return to France. His application was rejected.

The parties reached a friendly settlement. A long-term residence visa was issued to the applicant, who returned to France in August 1999, and the Minister of the Interior gave instructions for him to be issued with an Algerian residence certificate valid for one year, renewable, on which he is described as a “worker”.

© Council of Europe/European Court of Human Rights This summary by the Re gistry does not bind the Court.

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