European Migration Law

This book provides a systematic and accessible introduction to the state of EU migration law in 2025. It explores (in 15 chapters) the meaning of EU legislation on migration in the light of fundamental rights and principles of Union law as explained in leading case-law of the European courts.

It is particularly aimed at students, but may also be useful for practitioners, policymakers or others interested in the legal foundations of migration in Europe. Today’s Union law contains a comprehensive and almost all-encompassing migration law system. It controls entry, residence and return of migrants.

It covers both Union citizens and third-country nationals. Although some aspects of migration law are not affected by Union law and still left to the Member States, the overall picture drawn by the existing EU instruments is fairly complete. The book purports to present as lucidly as possible, in one framework, the different regimes as they pertain to the free movement of Union citizens, the association agreement with Turkey, the migration of third-country nationals for reasons of work, study, family reunification and asylum, the regulation of movement of third-country nationals to, from and within the Schengen area, and instruments to control migration.

Originally authored by Pieter Boeles et al., this new edition has been thoroughly revised and expanded by several experts to reflect recent developments in the field.