First country of asylum

United Kingdom

Country Report: First country of asylum Last updated: 10/07/24

Author

Sonia Lenegan

The “first country of asylum” concept, as expanded by the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 is defined as a country where

  • the claimant’s life and liberty are not threatened in that State by reason of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion,
  • the State is one from which a person will not be sent to another State—
  • otherwise than in accordance with the Refugee Convention, or
  • in contravention of their rights under Article 3 of the Human Rights Convention (freedom from torture or inhuman or degrading treatment), and
  • a person may apply to be recognised as a refugee and (if so recognised) receive protection in accordance with the Refugee Convention, in that State.[1]

The guidance reflects the change in rules and advises decision makers to consider of any relevant criteria that apply:

  • the applicant has been recognised as a refugee in a safe third country and can still avail themselves of that protection; or
  • the applicant otherwise enjoys sufficient protection in a safe third country, including benefiting from the principle of non-refoulement; or
  • the applicant could enjoy sufficient protection in a safe third country, including benefiting from the principle of non-refoulement because: (a) they have already made an application for protection in that country; or (b) they could have made an application for protection to that country but did not do so and there were no exceptional circumstances preventing such an application being made; or (c) they have a connection to that country, such that it would be reasonable for them to go there to obtain protection.[2]

For more see: Admissibility procedure.

 

 

 

[1] Section 80 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 as amended by section 16 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.

[2] Home Office, Inadmissibility: safe third country cases – Version 7.0, June 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3qUdPki.

Table of contents

  • Statistics
  • Overview of the legal framework
  • Overview of the main changes since the previous report update
  • Asylum Procedure
  • Reception Conditions
  • Detention of Asylum Seekers
  • Content of International Protection