The EU Return Directive lays down minimum standards and procedures concerning the return of third-country nationals (non-EU nationals) illegally residing in a member state. To actually effectuate their return, the Return Directive provides for several instruments, such as the return decision, the entry ban and the possibility of detention.
In this study, the author has researched the merger of criminal law with immigration law, known as the crimmigration phenomenon, in relation to the EU Return Directive. He has systematically assessed whether these EU instruments apply to the enforcement of the return rules and if they meet return policy or require adaptation in the light of primary and secondary EU law, as well as the European Convention on Human Rights.