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

2

EU Asylum Trends 1999-2009

380 450

243 302238 080223 670

201000

240 950

281 550

346 700

425 520429 970438 970

0

50 000

100 000

150 000

200 000

250 000

300 000

350 000

400 000

450 000

500 000

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

EU (27/25)

EU (old 15)

EU (new 12)

UNHCR stats. (1999 from Eurostat)

3

EU Member States with largest asylum-seeker numbers: 2004-9

Source: UNHCR annual stats

0

5 000

10 000

15 000

20 000

25 000

30 000

35 000

40 000

45 000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

France

UK

Germany

Sweden

Belgium

Netherlands

Greece

Italy

4

Top 10 countries of origin of asylum seekers in the EU (2004-9)

Source: UNHCR annual stats

  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

Russia 28,015 19,465 13,271 16,698 18,182 17,887

Iraq 8,204 10,611 19,375 38,286 27,603 17,554

Serbia

(pre 2006 – figs = Serbia & Montenegro)

 19,283  19,574   13,662 12,668 12,633 16,971

Nigeria 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

     

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

7

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

Stockholm Programme, 2010-2014

Aims for a ‘common [asylum] procedure’ and ‘uniform status’ by 2012

European Commission asked to:Evaluate existing/propose new instrumentsEvaluate 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/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/

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