Case summaries

France - Administrative Tribunal of Paris, decision of 22 February 2016, No 1602545/9
Country of applicant: Afghanistan

The considerable delays of receiving an appointment at the Prefect in order to register an asylum application means that applicants are deprived of legally entitled guarantees, notably material ones. Consequentially such delays constitute a serious and manifestly illegal infringement upon the fundamental right to asylum.

The Police Prefect must register the asylum application within 10 days of the notification of this decision. 

Date of decision: 22-02-2016
CJEU - C‑601/15 PPU, J. N. v Staatssecretaris van Veiligheid en Justitie
Country of applicant: Unknown
Keywords: Detention, Return

Article 8(3)(e) of the recast Reception Conditions Directive fulfils the requirements of proportionality by virtue of the strictly circumscribed framework regulating its use. In light of Article 52(3) of the Charter, Article 8(3)(e) therefore complies with Article 5(1)(f) of the ECHR.

Date of decision: 15-02-2016
Portugal - Administrative Litigation Section of the Central Administrative Court, 11/02/2016, proc. nº 12873/16
Country of applicant: Syria

It is an appeal against the decision handed down by the Administrative Court of Lisboa that granted asylum to a Syrian citizen.

The recursive claim was declared unfounded by the Central Court, inter alia because the applicant’s mere transit from Brazil could not be considered as a connecting link that could render Brazil a safe third country.

Date of decision: 11-02-2016
ECtHR - R. T. v Greece, Application No. 5124/11, 11 February 2016
Country of applicant: Iran

The Court found that there had been a violation of Article 3 in relation to detention conditions at Tychero. There was no violation of Article 5(1) insofar as the detention was not arbitrary and was in accordance with a procedure prescribed by law, but there was a violation of Article 5(4) in relation to the ineffectiveness of the judicial review of detention conditions. Further, there was a violation of Article 13 read in conjunction with Article 3, because the Greek authorities had deported the Applicant to Turkey, without verifying whether his asylum claim was still pending. 

Date of decision: 11-02-2016
France - Council of State, 10 February 2016, M.A., No. 373529
Country of applicant: Sri Lanka

The Council of State (the “Council”) overturned an order of the National Court of Asylum (the “NCA”) rejecting a request for annulment of a decision of the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (the “OFPRA”) rejecting the Applicant’s request for refugee status or subsidiary protection. The reasoning for the rejection by the NCA was that no new elements had been presented since the previous decision that had been given.

The Council considered that the disclosure by the prefecture to the Sri Lankan Embassy in France (the “Embassy”) of information on the French asylum request of the Applicant constituted a new circumstance which justified a review of the Applicant’s asylum request. 

Date of decision: 10-02-2016
ECtHR – Amadou v Greece, Application No. 37991/11, 4 February 2016
Country of applicant: Gambia

The Court found a violation of Articles 3 and 5(4) ECHR in relation to the Applicant’s detention conditions at Fylakio and Aspropyrgos, and the shortcomings of domestic law in relation to the judicial review of his detention. 

Date of decision: 04-02-2016
Germany - Administrative Court of Potsdam, 04 February 2016, case no. 6 L 87/16.A
Country of applicant: Unknown

A court’s decision on a request for suspensive effect of an appeal against a deportation order does not affect the expiration of the 6-month period set out in Art. 29(2) of the Dublin III Regulation. According to German law, a deportation order ceases to be effective upon expiration of this 6-month period.

Date of decision: 04-02-2016
United Kingdom - The Queen on the application of ZAT, IAJ, KAM, AAM, MAT, MAJ and LAM v. Secretary of State for the Home Department
Country of applicant: Syria

The Upper Tribunal ordered the Secretary of State for the Home Department to immediately admit four vulnerable Syrians from an unofficial migrant camp in France to the United Kingdom in order to be reunited with refugee family members during the examination their asylum applications. Although they had not applied for asylum in France or been subject to Dublin procedures, the particular circumstances meant that failing to do so would lead to a disproportionate interference with their right to respect for family life. 

Date of decision: 29-01-2016
ECtHR - R v Russia, Application no 11916/15, 26 January 2016
Country of applicant: Kyrgyzstan

The detention and proposed expulsion of a Kyrgyzstani national are declared by the European Court of Human rights to constitute a violation of Article 3 and Article 5 of the Convention. The expulsion would be a violation of Article 3 due to the discrimination, persecution and human rights abuses against the ethnic Uzbek group, to which the applicant belongs.

The mistreatment of the applicant during detention and a lack of investigation into the mistreatment constituted a violation of both the substantive and procedural limbs of Article 3.

The deprivation of liberty during detention could not be deemed lawful under Article 5 as domestic law was not deemed foreseeable in its application.  

Date of decision: 26-01-2016
Germany – Administrative Court Magdeburg Chamber 8, 26 January 2016, 8A 108/ 16

Due to systemic deficiencies in the Maltese asylum system, a responsibility on the part of the German authorities to examine the asylum application exists by virtue of the sovereignty clause in the Dublin III Regulation.

Date of decision: 26-01-2016