a common european asylum system towards 2012 -conference on migration in europe – control versus...
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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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