Transcript Slide 1

A Common European Asylum System
towards 2012
-Conference on Migration in Europe –
control versus rights
Oslo, 11 February 2011
Liv Feijen
Senior Regional Legal Officer
UNHCR Stockholm
EU Asylum Trends 1999-2009
500 000
438 970
450 000
429 970
425 520
400 000
350 000
346 700
380 450
300 000
281 550
EU (27/25)
240 950
250 000
223 670
238 080
243 302
201000
EU (old 15)
EU (new 12)
200 000
150 000
100 000
50 000
0
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
UNHCR stats. (1999 from Eurostat)
2
EU Member States with largest asylumseeker numbers: 2004-9
45 000
France
40 000
UK
35 000
Germany
30 000
25 000
Sweden
20 000
Belgium
15 000
Netherlands
10 000
5 000
Greece
0
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Italy
Source: UNHCR annual stats
3
Top 10 countries of origin of asylum seekers in the
EU (2004-9)
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Afghanistan
6,852
6,323
7,612
7,653
13,514
19,393
Somalia
6,892
5,482
5,996
9,327
17,112
18,653
28,015
19,465
13,271
16,698
18,182
17,887
8,204
10,611
19,375
38,286
27,603
17,554
12,668
12,633
16,971
Russia
Iraq
Serbia
19,283
19,574
13,662
(pre 2006 –
figs = Serbia &
Montenegro)
10,253
6,745
5,153
5,174
11,280
9,971
Pakistan
9,052
6,373
6,284
13,193
12,007
9,562
Iran
8,882
7,722
7,065
5,812
6,734
7,588
Turkey
13,983
10,310
7,427
5,817
6,298
5,868
China
11,439
7,516
5,450
5,621
4,281
5,410
Nigeria
Source: UNHCR annual stats
4
Where we stand now
Treaty on Functioning of the EU, Article 78, Dec
2009


Explicit goal of establishing a ‘common policy on
asylum’ – with a ‘common procedure’ & ‘uniform status’
Asylum policy must be in accordance with 1951
Convention and other relevant treaties
 Extended scope for national courts to refer asylum
questions to the Court of Justice
 EU accession to ECHR
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU
entered force 2009
 ‘The right to asylum shall be guaranteed with due
respect for the rules of the Geneva Convention…’ article
18, ‘Right to asylum’

‘No one may be removed, expelled or extradited to a
State where there is a serious risk that s/he would be
subjected to the death penalty, torture or other
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment’ - art
19
7
Stockholm Programme, 2010-2014


Aims for a ‘common [asylum] procedure’ and
‘uniform status’ by 2012
European Commission asked to:
 Evaluate existing/propose new instruments
 Evaluate and review tasks of European
Asylum Support Office (EASO) after 5 years
 Create mechanism for monitoring quality
Stockholm Programme (2)



Commitment to responsibility-sharing in EU –
but Dublin as a ‘cornerstone’ of the Common
European Asylum System
External dimension: support for UNHCR; ‘new
means of access’ to protection in third countries
Subject to an EC report (2014) - foresees EU
accession to 1951 Convention
Completion of CEAS
Legislative standards
 Development of jurisprudence
 Practical co-operation
 Responsibility-sharing mechanisms
 Information gathering, evaluation

Gaps identified by UNHCR
Distribution of applications for asylum
 Outcome of applications -quality of
decisions
 Gaps in the procedures
 Reception conditions

Legislative standards
Proposal Recast Qualification
Directive

PURPOSE: simplify decision-making, streamline procedures for granting
rights, coherence with ECtHR), higher protection standards, harmonizaion
of protection standards;

Art 7 Actors of protection: In practice; clans tribes, NGOs ec. Proposal:
effective, durable, willingness, significant, not-temporary protection;

Art 8 Internal protection: ECtHR judgment Salah Sheikh, no IFA if
practical obstacles, able to travel, gain admittance and settle in alternative
location;

Art 9(3) Casual link: both when connection between acts of persecution
and reasons for persecution and the absence of protection against such
acts;

Recital 29, Art 10(d) Particular social group: gender given due
consideration.
Proposal Recast Qualification
Directive
Cessation: inserting 1(C)(5) and (6) of the
1951 Convention;
 Recognition of qualification
 Integration, accommodation, benefits
etc
 Family members

Proposal Recast Reception
Conditions Directive
Scope of the Directive;
 Access to labour market;
 Access to material reception conditions;
 Detention;
 Persons with special needs;
 Implementation

Proposal Recast Asylum
Procedures Directive
Access to procedures;
 Procedural guarantees first instance;
 Accelerated procedures;
 Safe country of origin;
 Access to effective remedies.

Propsal Recast Asylum Procedures
Directive (cont)
Requires written reasons for decisions,
even in grants of status;
 Reduce grounds for omitting personal
interviews;
 Medico-legal reports/evidence must be
permitted for people who have suffered
torture/serious harm;

Jurisprudence
Case-law CEJU
Petrosian DUBLIN
 B and V v Germany EXCLUSION
 Abdallah - CESSATION
 Bolbol – 1D
 Elgafaji – SUBSIDIARY PROTECTION
 NS v UK – DUBLIN II/Charter of
Fundamental Rights

Practical co-operation
EASO: EAC, common EU coi portal
 FRONTEX

Responsibility sharing
Greece!!!!
 Dublin II
 EU resettlement scheme

UNHCR’s positions on the recast
directives

http://www.unhcr.org/cgibin/texis/vtx/search/?page=&comid=43673
0642&cid=49aea9390&keywords=unhcrob
servations