Challenging the boundaries of accountability: strategic litigation and jurisdiction in European migration control policies

Abstract

ABSTRACT Current European border policies both evade accountability and perpetuate the violation of human rights by state actors abroad. The ongoing case of S.S. v Italy offers an opportunity to challenge these existing migratory frameworks and reassess conceptions of jurisdiction. The court's decision will be crucial in determining whether extraterritorial exercises of sovereign power can still fall within a nation's jurisdiction. This paper argues that adopting the Functional Jurisdiction Model, which emphasises factual and legal elements over location, would increase accountability for state actions abroad. Although this approach may remain susceptible to existing efforts by states to avoid judicial scrutiny, it is essential to address current gaps in accountability and uphold human rights principles. The influence of international human rights law in shaping national policy cannot be ignored, and implementing a new understanding of jurisdiction can better protect the rights of migrants and ensure that sovereign authorities are held responsible for extraterritorial human rights abuses.