A French court believes Norwegian asylum practices against Afghan citizens are in violation of human rights and a refusal of a return to Norway for an asylum seeker was rescinded.
A 23-year-old Afghan asylum seeker who came to Norway in 2015 and had their application rejected, went to France and applied there instead.
He was also refused there, and the authorities decided that he should be sent back to Norway, as this was where he had applied first.
But earlier in April, the return to Norway was suspended by a court in Lyon.
The court believed the man would be in danger in Norway because he was likely to be returned to Afghanistan, which the judge believed would be a violation of human rights, reported Dagsavisen newspaper.
‘The French judge believes it is obvious that Norway’s decision was wrong. I can’t remember having seen a court decision that considered it risky to return to Norway because the asylum seeker would be subjected to persecution in Afghanistan,’ said Halvor Frihagen, an asylum lawyer.
Neither the Ministry of Justice, nor the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) would comment on the specific case, but Secretary of State, Torkil Åmland of the Fremskrittspartiet (FrP) said Norwegian authorities had carefully followed the security situation in Afghanistan, and considered asylum practice in that light.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
