Migration surge overwhelms Tallinn Administrative Court, slowing other cases

A sharp rise in migration pressure has flooded Estonia’s Tallinn Administrative Court with detention requests from the Police and Border Guard Board. While the court handled about 130 such applications last year, the figure exceeded 400 in the first nine months of this year, with more than 90 filed in a single recent week. Concurrently, total complaints to the court increased from 1,445 to 1,620 over comparable periods.

To manage the surge, the court now rotates two duty judges each week, up from one, and officials warn that additional judges may be required. This workload shift means ordinary administrative cases are experiencing longer waits before hearings and resolutions. The court must also conduct interpreter-assisted hearings within 48 hours for detained foreigners, many claiming origins across Africa and Asia and some asserting minor status, which is being closely examined.