Case summaries
Given that the Secretary of State used the same materials in the first and in the review decisions, the High Court found that the Secretary of State did not comply with the standard of review in re-evaluating the case at hand.
The expulsion of the applicant to Somalia was in violation of Article 8 of the Convention, because the offences committed by the applicant did not posed a threat to public order and he had not previously been warned of expulsion or had a conditional expulsion order imposed. Furthermore, the applicant also had very strong ties to Denmark and virtually no ties with Somalia. Therefore, the expulsion of Mr. Abdi, combined with a life-long ban on returning, was disproportionate.
In the context of cessation of refugee status under Article 11 (1)(e), the change in circumstances must remedy the reasons which led to the recognition of refugee status; a country of origin’s ability or inability to demonstrate that it can provide protection from acts of persecution constitutes ‘a crucial element’ in this assessment.
Mere social and financial support to the third country national is inherently incapable of either preventing acts of persecution or of detecting, prosecuting and punishing such acts and, therefore, cannot be regarded as providing the protection required by Article 11(1)(e). In order to determine whether the third-country national still has a well-founded fear of persecution, the existence of protection against acts of persecution should be considered when examining the change in circumstances.
The Court decided that the applicants’ arrest and detention were unlawful under Article 5 of the Convention. The eighth applicant’s complaint under Article 3 that she, a minor at the time, was not provided with adequate care in detention in connection with her pregnancy and the miscarriage she suffered was not accepted by the Court.
The case examines whether the rejection of the complainant’s application for asylum is lawful and if he may be deported. He can only be deported if he does not face inhuman or degrading treatment in his country of origin. In addition, his social networks and the possibility of a basis for subsistence are relevant.
Somalia is classified as a country which in general is safe. An impermissible expulsion depends on the applicant’s personal circumstances, persecution and risk of harm in his country of origin.
Confinement of asylum applicants in an airport transit zone is contrary to Art. 5 § 1 (f) in the absence of any domestic legal basis for the applicants’ deprivation of liberty.
Confinement of asylum seekers left to their own devices in airport transit zones under the control of border authorities, without unimpeded access to shower or cooking facilities, outdoor exercise and medical or social assistance amount to degrading and inhuman conditions under Art. 3 ECHR if protracted for a long time.
The complainant, a Somali Citizen and a Sufi Muslim from Jaameel Sheen, Hiiraan Region, Somalia, had been detained and tortured by al-Shabaab due to teaching English.
Based on a consistent account in accordance with a medico-legal report from a torture investigation and country of origin information the Board found the applicant profiled in relation to al-Shabaab.
The applicant was granted subsidiary protection under the Danish Aliens Act Art. 7 (2).
UK Court of Appeal rules on the correct test to use when making a decision on cessation of refugee status.
The applicants although minors were detained in a detention facility where they were mixed with adults. The detention lasted until the Maltese government determined (in a process that took 8 months) that they were minors.
Moreover, the harsh conditions in the detention facilities amounted to inhuman or degrading treatment.