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Summary problem 2 European law: justice and home affairs
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problem 2 European law: justice and home affairs
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Problem 2 – EU asylum systemPart A: Who qualifies for international protection (When all hope is
lost)
1. What are the grounds for being considered as a refugee?
Refugee protection
= protection as a refugee in accordance with international legal instruments
In EU refugee protection is part of Common European Asylum System > based on the
Refugee Convention (international agreement)
Qualification Directive: Aims to ensure that Member States apply common criteria for
recognizing applicants for asylum as refugees. Guides Member states in the
application of the Refugee Convention
o Also looks at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Refugee Convention was adopted in 1951 > in 1967 a Protocol relating to the Status of
Refugees was added.
Should be seen as human rights treaty
Based on the principle that human beings shall enjoy fundamental rights and freedoms
without discrimination
Object and purpose = protection of fundamental (human) rights of people who are no
longer protected by their own country and need to find protection elsewhere
Primary law
Art. 78 TFEU: legal basis for asylum policy
,Problem 2 – EU asylum system
Secondary law: Qualification Directive (2011/95/EU)
Art. 1 QD: The purpose of this directive (standards/ common criteria for the
qualification for a status of refugee)
Art. 2 QD: Definitions.
Art. 2.d QD: The definition (and legal basis) of a refugee:
A TCN
Well-founded fear or being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality,
political opinion or membership of a particular social group
o Subjective: feeling to fear
o Objective: facts to support the subjective feelings
Each case has to be looked at individually: facts and circumstances.
1. Is outside the country of origin
2. Is not able to help himself of herself of the protection of that country or a stateless
person who is unable or owing to such fear, unwilling to return to it
Five general observations:
1. A person is a refugee if he or she fulfils the criteria contained in the definition:
o Third-country national (the QD definition excludes EU citizens)
o Being prosecuted for the reasons of race, religion, nationality, political group
or membership of a social group
o Unable or unwilling to avail protection of the country
2. The definition protects stateless persons
3. The definition is limited to persons who are outside their country of origin
4. The definition implies that the risk of persecution stems from a persecutor
5. The fair of persecution must be linked to one of the reasons mentioned in art. 2.d and
10 QD
Article 2 (d) has some important elements (which you have to apply in an exam):
Third-Country national (Art. 2 SBC)
Outside country of origin
Well-founded fear
Act of persecution (art. 9 QD)
Reasons of persecution (art. 10 QD)
Causal link (art. 9(3) QD)
Unable or unwilling to avail from protection.
Art. 4 QD: Assessment of facts and circumstances. The QD contains common provisions on
the assessment of applications for international protection in art. 4-8 QD.
Art. 5 QD: International protection needs arising sur place (ter plaatse). When someone has
left their country of origin and then becomes in risk of persecution (1), based on activities
which the applicant has engages in since he or she left the country of origin (2) which the
applicant has created by his or her own decision since leaving the country of origin (3).
Art. 6 QD: Actors of persecution or serious harm:
The State
Parties or organizations controlling the State of part of the territory
Non-State actors
, Problem 2 – EU asylum system
Well-founded fear
This concept is the backbone of the refugee definition. It requires that there is a risk of
persecution based on at least one of the reasons or grounds mentioned in the definition and in
absence of protection from the country of origin
Neither the RC nor the QD elaborate on the level of risk or on the evidentiary standard
applicable, beyond requiring that the risk must be well-founded. The Court has noted that to
‘ascertain whether or not the circumstances established constitute such a threat that the person
concerned may reasonably fear, in the light of his individual situation, that he will in fact be
subject to acts of persecution.’
The standard of ‘reasonable possibility or chance’
There must be paid attention to individual situation.
o ‘Risk’ : Implies a possibility of persecution in the future. It is not necessary
that the person has been persecuted in the past. Although past persecutions or
serious harm is a ‘serious indication of the applicant’s well-founded fear of
persecution’
o ‘Fear’: unfortunately, fear is a subjective component. For the purposes of
refugee status determination, the fear must be well-founded, implying that it
must have an objective basis. There are varying degrees to which the
subjective and objective element of the fear criterion must be weighed in a
case..
So, it is not the frame of mind of the person concerned which is decisive for his claim, but the
objective yardstick by which it is measured. Fear, as a purely emotional state of mind, is
neither decisive nor sufficient for claiming refugee protection.
A claim for protection as a refugee must be based on facts and circumstances that directly
relate to the individual concerned. It may also be based on experiences of others who are in a
similar situation, such as family members or fellow political activists.
There has to be a balance of subjective and objective fear (Y and Z Case: P.70)
Subjective is not enough, there has to be an objective basis.
In summary, the four criteria of well-founded fear:
1. Risk of persecution and reasonable possibility or chance
2. Risk implies a possibility of persecution in the future
3. Fear has to have an objective basis
4. Individual situations (individualized)
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