UTL Directorate of Immigration Iceland : Application For Asylum

Organization : Directorate of Immigration
Type of Facility : Application For Asylum
Country: Iceland

Website : http://www.utl.is/index.php/en/asylum-and-international-protection

Application For Asylum :

Asylum :
Iceland is a member state of the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention (UNHCR). The Icelandic Act no. 96/2002 on Foreigners addresses the case procedure regarding application for asylum.

Related : UTL Directorate of Immigration Iceland Apply For Residence Permit : www.statusin.org/8908.html

The Directorate of Immigration processes the applications for asylum at the first administrative level but applications are to be submitted to the police.

Application process:
Applications for asylum are submitted to the police. Applications can be submitted anywhere in Iceland. After the police have received the basic information from the applicant, including fingerprinting and asking about the travel route to Iceland and identification, the police sends the application to the Directorate of Immigration for further processing and decision.

As soon as an applicant applies for asylum with the police, an examination is made as to whether the applicant needs assistance for his/her daily needs and if so, he/she is offered service by the municipalities that have entered into agreements with the Directorate of Immigration to assist asylum seekers. The applicant receives consultation and legal aid by the Icelandic Red Cross.

The Dublin Regulation:
When an application processed by the Icelandic Directorate of Immigration, the first step is to consider whether the provisions of the Dublin Regulation apply in the relevant case, and whether another member state of the Regulation is responsible for processing the application and whether it accepts such responsibility. Before The Directorate of Immigration decides on grounds of the Dublin Regulation, the applicant is called in for an interview at the offices of the Directorate of Immigration to go over which state is responsible for processing his/her application and the applicant is given an opportunity to describe his/her situation. If another member state confirms its responsibility for processing the application the Directorate of Immigration decides whether the applicant should be sent to that same member state. Such a decision is carried out by the International Division of the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police. When an application is closed on grounds of the Dublin Regulation no decision is made whether the applicant has the right to international protection.

Case procedure on the merits:
If Iceland is responsible for processing an application for asylum, the application is taken for procedure by the Directorate of Immigration. This means deciding whether the relevant applicant needs protection. In such an instance an assessment is made as to whether the applicant’s circumstances fall under the definition of a refugee, whether he/she needs subsidiary protection or residence permit on humanitarian grounds, see here.

All of these permits entail some kind of protection for the applicant. In instances where an applicant is denied permit he/she may appeal the decision to the Ministry of the Interior.

How to apply:
According to the Act on Foreigners, a person wanting to apply for asylum in Iceland must be in Iceland, either at or inside the borders of Iceland. The application must be submitted to the police at any police station in Iceland. No requirement is made for an application being in any specific format, in fact an applicant may express his/her wish verbally.

Applications for asylum that are sent to Iceland from individuals who are abroad at the time are not accepted for procedure.

Application examination:
** Dublin Regulation process
** General process on the merits
** Accelerated procedure
** Case-procedure rules and guidelines
** Credibility assessment

Wihtdrawing application:
An asylum seeker who wants to cancel his/her application must formally withdraw it. Withdrawal frequently takes place with the assistance of the legal spokesperson or the Red Cross representative who makes the withdrawal known to the Icelandic Directorate of Immigration. An asylum seeker may also withdraw his/her application directly to the Directorate of Immigration.

An asylum seeker who withdraws his/her application for asylum in Iceland must leave the country. If he/she does not do so or is unable to do so at his/her own accord he/she will be denied entry into Iceland or expelled from Iceland. An asylum seeker who has the right to a different kind of permit in Iceland must apply especially for such a permit.