Can anyone be expelled for persistent petty criminality?
In certain circumstances, persistent petty criminality may represent a threat to public policy, despite the fact that any single crime/offence, taken individually, would be insufficient to represent a sufficiently serious threat as defined above. How are long term residents protected against expulsion? Long-term residents will have developed strong links with the host Member State. This is why the Directive lays down rules to give long-term residents increased protection against expulsion. EU citizens and their family members who are permanent residents (after five years) in the host Member State can be expelled only on serious grounds of public policy or public security. EU citizens residing for more than after ten years and children can be expelled only on imperative grounds of public security (not public policy). There must be a clear distinction between normal, ‘serious’ and ‘imperative’ grounds on which the expulsion can be taken. How can Member States fight against abuse? In case
