Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the European Union 2015
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2314-9701 European Asylum Support Office Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the European Union 2015 SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION European Asylum Support Office EASO Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the European Union 2015 SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union. Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00800 numbers or these calls may be billed. More information on the European Union is available on the internet (http://europa.eu). Print ISBN 978-92-9494-006-3 doi:10.2847/54125 BZ-AB-16-001-EN-C PDF ISBN 978-92-9494-007-0 doi:10.2847/704455 BZ-AB-16-001-EN-N © European Asylum Support Office, 2016 Neither EASO nor any person acting on its behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein. Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the European Union 2015 — 3 Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 5 International Protection in the EU+ ............................................................................................................. 5 Major Developments in 2015 ....................................................................................................................... 5 Functioning of the CEAS ............................................................................................................................... 6 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 7 2. International Protection in the EU+ ......................................................................................................... 8 2.1. Applicants for international protection in the EU+ ........................................................................... 8 2.2. Pending cases .................................................................................................................................. 13 2.3. Withdrawn applications .................................................................................................................. 17 2.4. Asylum decisions – first instance .................................................................................................... 19 2.4.1. Recognition rate ............................................................................................................. 19 2.4.2. Recognition rate by country of origin............................................................................. 22 2.5. Asylum decisions – second and higher instance ............................................................................. 23 2.5.1. Recognition rate for higher instances ............................................................................ 23 2.5.2. Recognition rate by country of origin – second and higher instances ........................... 26 2.6. Dublin .............................................................................................................................................. 27 2.7. Overview of developments in 2015 in main countries of origin ..................................................... 31 2.8. Key challenges and responses ......................................................................................................... 42 2.8.1. Syria ............................................................................................................................... 42 2.8.2. Afghanistan .................................................................................................................... 45 2.8.3. Iraq ................................................................................................................................. 48 2.8.4. Western Balkans ............................................................................................................. 51 3. Major developments in 2015 .................................................................................................................56 3.1. Important developments at EU level in the field of asylum ............................................................ 56 3.1.1. Legislative: transposition and entry into force of recast instruments ............................ 56 3.1.2. Jurisprudence ................................................................................................................. 59 3.1.3. Practical cooperation: translating legislation into action ............................................... 60 3.1.4. Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund ....................................................................... 62 3.2. Important developments at the national level ............................................................................... 63 3.2.1. Pressures on national asylum systems ........................................................................... 63 3.2.2. Institutional changes ...................................................................................................... 65 3.2.3. Important national jurisprudence .................................................................................. 66 3.2.4. Major legislative changes in Member States ................................................................. 77 3.2.5. Key policy changes, relating to integrity, efficiency and quality ..................................... 79 3.2.6. External dimension and third-country support .............................................................. 84 3.2.7. Resettlement and relocation .......................................................................................... 85 4. The Functioning of the CEAS ...................................................................................................................88 4.1. Access to procedure ........................................................................................................................ 88 4.2. Access to information and legal assistance ..................................................................................... 90 4.3. Providing interpretation services .................................................................................................... 91 4 — Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the European Union 2015 4.4. Dublin procedure ............................................................................................................................ 93 4.5. Special procedures: admissibility, border and accelerated procedures .......................................... 94 4.6. Reception of applicants for international protection and reception capacity ................................ 98 4.7. Detention ...................................................................................................................................... 101 4.8. Procedures at first instance .......................................................................................................... 103 4.9. Procedures at second instance ..................................................................................................... 104 4.10. The availability and use of COI ...................................................................................................... 106 4.11. Vulnerable applicants ................................................................................................................... 109 Unaccompanied minors ................................................................................................................ 109 4.12. Content of protection ................................................................................................................... 115 4.12.1 Integration.................................................................................................................... 116 4.13. Return ........................................................................................................................................... 116 5. Conclusion ...........................................................................................................................................121 ANNEXES ..............................................................................................................................................122 A. List of abbreviations ...................................................................................................................... 122 B. List of figures, tables and maps ..................................................................................................... 123 C. Key terms ...................................................................................................................................... 125 D. Statistics ........................................................................................................................................ 126 Disclaimer .................................................................................................................................................. 126 Annex D1: Asylum applicants in the EU+ by Member States and main citizenship, 2011-2015 ..... 127 Annex D2: First time asylum applicants by Member States and main citizenship, 2011-2015 ....... 128 Annex D3: Pending cases at the end of the year in the EU+ by Member States and main citizenship, 2011-2015 ....................................................................................................