UNHCR releases study on key EU asylum law

UNHCR is releasing today a study on the implementation of the European Union's 'Qualification Directive'. Adopted by the EU in 2004, the Qualification Directive is considered one of the building blocks of the Common European Asylum System. It sets out the criteria EU Member States must use to decide whether an asylum seeker is entitled to international protection, and what kind of protection he or she receives, be it refugee status or a subsidiary form of protection.

The study looks at how key provisions of this directive are implemented in five EU member states (France, Germany, Greece, Slovak Republic and Sweden) which together received nearly 50 percent of all asylum applications in the EU last year. It concludes that, while the consistency of decision-making among member states has improved on some issues, there are still great differences on others. Much more needs to be done if the EU is to achieve a common approach to asylum claims. Therefore, this study includes recommendations to the European Council, member states and the European Commission.