Judgment D-5800/2016, 13 October 2017

Judgment of the Federal Administrative Court (FAC) regarding a removal of an Afghan asylum seeker to Afghanistan (Kabul)

Judgment D-5800/2016, 13 October 2017

Facts:

The applicant is an Afghan national (Hazara) born in Kabul, whose asylum application was rejected and whose removal declared reasonable.

Decision of the FAC:

The question of whether a removal to Afghanistan – particularly to Kabul – is reasonable, is addressed by the FAC (Erw. 6, p. 8ff.).

First the FAC summarises (Erw. 6.2.1-6.2.3, p. 9-10) its current analyses of the situation in Afghanistan (cf. BVGE 2011/7; BVGE 2011/38; BVGE 2011/49). In the following, it conducts a new detailed analysis of the prevailing situation (Erw. 7, p. 14ff.).

The FAC states that the overall security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated since 2011. It concludes that a removal to wide parts of Afghanistan is still not reasonable due to the unchanged worrying security situation and difficult humanitarian conditions which have to be qualified as life-threatening in the sense of Art. 83 para. 4 Foreign National Act (FNA) (Erw. 7.6, p. 21).

Regarding the security situation in Kabul, the FAC conducts a separate analysis. It comes to the conclusion that the security situation in Kabul is volatile and characterized by numerous attacks. Furthermore, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated compared to the FAC's last analysis of the situation in 2011 (BVGE 2011/7). It concludes that the situation in Kabul is life-threatening and that a removal to Kabul is in principle not reasonable. However, the FAC states that in exceptional cases a removal to Kabul could be reasonable if there were particular factors enabling it (healthy single young men with a sustainable social network, a possibility to secure minimal subsistence needs and a stable housing situation) (Erw. 8.4.1 and Erw. 8.4.2, p. 26f.).

The FAC does not discuss the situation in Mazar-i-Sharif and Herat (Erw. 9 p. 27).

In the present case, the FAC concludes that the applicant's removal to Kabul is not reasonable since there is no sustainable social network and no other particular factors which would enable the applicant's removal (Erw. 10.2, p. 27). The applicant is therefore granted a provisional admission in Switzerland (Erw. 11, p. 28).

Legislation cited:

AsylG: Art.6, Art.44, Art.105, Art.108,
AuG: Art.83, Art.84, Art.112,
BGG: Art.83,
VGG: Art.31, Art.32, Art.33, Art.37,
VGKE: Art.7, Art.9, Art.13, Art.14,
VwVG: Art.5, Art.48, Art.49, Art.52, Art.63, Art.64, Art.65

Case Law cited: 

BVGE

2014/26
2011/7
2011/49
2011/38
2011/24
2009/51

Entscheide BVGer
E-2060/2016
D-5800/2016

Other material:

Media, in particular: Neue Zürcher Zeitung, The Guardian, British Broadcasting Corporation, The New York Times) and news from the Afghanistan Analysts Networks (< www.afghanistan-analysts.org >) and other sources (04.01.2017):

-         Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), Report on Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan in 1394, 01.08.2016, < www.aihrc.org.af/
media/files/Research%20Reports/english/Report%20on%20Civilian%20Casualties_1394_English.pdf > (zit. AIHRC, Report)

-         Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation (ACCORD), ecoi.net-Themendossier zu Afghanistan: Allgemeine Sicherheitslage in Afghanistan & Chronologie für Kabul, letzte Aktualisierung 16. November 2016, < www.ecoi.net/news/188769::afgha
nistan/101.allgemeine-sicherheitslage-in-afghanistan-chronologie-fuer-kabul.htm > (zit. ACCORD, Chronologie)

-         ACCORD, Afghanistan; Dokumentation des Expertengespräches mit Thomas Ruttig und Michael Daxner vom 4. Mai 2016, 06.2016, < www.ecoi.net/file_upload/90_1466684031_dokumentation-coi-seminar-afg-20160623.pdf > (zit. ACCORD, Expertengespräch)

-         Bertelsmann Stiftung, BTI 2016 - Afghanistan Country Report, 29.02.2016,  www.bti-project.org/fileadmin/files/BTI/Downloads/Reports/2016/pdf/
BTI_2016_Afghanistan.pdf > (zit. BTI 2016)

-         Central Statistics Organisation (CSO), Estimated Population of Kabul City by District and Sex 2016-17, undatiert, < www.cso.gov.af/en/page/demography
-and-socile-statistics/demograph-statistics/3897111 > (zit. CSO)

-         Danish Refugee Council, Understand and protect Afghan refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, 10.2016, < drc.dk/media/2799644/understand-and-protect-afghan-refugees-asylum-seekers-and-immigrants-final-ny.pdf > (zit. DRC, Understand)

-         EASO, EASO Country of Origin Information Report, Afghanistan, Security Situation, 11.2016, < www.ecoi.net/file_
upload/90_1479191564_2016-11-09-easo-afghanistan-security-situation.pdf > (zit. EASO 2016)

-         Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research, Conflict Barometer 2016, < www.hiik.de/de/konfliktbarometer/pdf/ConflictBarometer_2016.pdf > (zit. Conflict Barometer 2016)

-         HRW, Pakistan Coercion, UN Complicity - The Mass Forced Return of Afghan Refugees, 02.2017,  www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report
_pdf/pakistan0217_web.pdf > (zit. HWR, Return)

-         HRW, World Report 2017 - Afghanistan, 12.01.2017,  www.hrw.org/sites/
default/files/afghanistan_1.pdf > (zit. HRW, World Report)

-         HRW, "Today We Shall All Die" - Afghanistan's Strongmen and the Legacy of Impunity, 03.2015,  www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/
afghanistan0315_4up.pdf > (zit. HRW, Strongmen)

-         Institute for the Study of War (ISW), The Taliban Resurgent, 03.2015, < www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/AFGH%20Report.pdf > (zit. ISW, Resurgent)

-         International Crisis Group, The Economic Disaster Behind Afghanistan's Mounting Human Crisis, 03.10.2016,  www.crisisgroup.org/asia/south-asia/afghanistan/economic-disaster-behind-afghanistan-s-mounting-human-crisis > (zit. ICG 2016)

-         Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), Zeitenwende am Hindukusch, 01.2015, < www.kas.de/wf/doc/kas_40191-544-1-30.pdf?150126103209 > (zit. KAS)

-         Landinfo, Report Hazaras and Afghan insurgent groups, 03.10.2016, < www.landinfo.no/asset/3483/1/3483_1.pdf > (zit. Landinfo, Hazara)

-         Landinfo, Afghanistan: Sikkerhetssituasjonen i provinsen Kabul, 25.11.2016, < www.landinfo.no/asset/3471/1/3471_1.pdf > (zit. Landinfo)

-         NATO, Resolut Support Mission - Troop Contributing Nations, 06.2016,  www.rs.nato.int/images//20160614_2016-06-rsm-placemat.pdf > (zit. NATO, Mission)

-         Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Listening to Women and Girls Displaced to Urban Afghanistan, 01.2015, < www.nrc.no/globalassets/
pdf/reports/listening-to-women-and-girls-displaced-to-urban-afghanistan.pdf > (zit. NRC, Urban)

-         Oxford Analytica Daily Brief, Afghan Taliban contain Islamic State's regional reach, 17.11.2015 (zit. Oxford)

-         Qantara, Die ungebrochene Macht der Milizen und Warlords, 16.08.2016, < de.qantara.de/inhalt/kampf-gegen-die-taliban-in-afghanistan-die-ungebrochene-macht-der-milizen-und-warlords > (zit. Qantara, Warlords)

-         Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), The Changing Face Of Kabul: After Years Of Foreign-Fueled Growth, An Uncertain Future, 13.06.2016, < www.rferl.org/a/changing-face-of-kabul-uncertain-fututure-foreign-troops-leaving/27795414.html > (zit. RFE/RL, Changing)

-         The Long War Journal, Rival Taliban factions clash in western Afghanistan, 08.12.2015, < www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/12/rival-taliban-factions-clash-in-western-afghanistan.php > (zit. LWJ, Rival Taliban)

-         United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Midyear Report 2016 - Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, 09.2016,  unama.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/protection_of_civilians
_in_armed_conflict_midyear_report_2016_final_rev.1-9sept.pdf > (zit. UNAMA, Midyear Report)

-         UNAMA, Un Chief In Afghanistan Renews Call for Parties to Protect Civilians - UNAMA Releases Civilian Casualty Data for Third Quarter of 2016, 19.10.2016,  unama.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/19_october
_2016_-_un_chief_in_afghanistan_renews_call_for_parties_to_protect_
civilians_english.pdf > (zit. UNAMA, Chief)

-         UNAMA/ Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict - Annual Report 2016, 02.2017,  unama.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/protection_of_civilians_
in_armed_conflict_annual_report_march_2016_final.pdf > (zit. UNAMA/ OHCHR, Annual Report 2016)

-         United Nations (UN) General Assembly / UN Security Council, The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security - Report of the Secretary-General (A/71/682-S/2016/1049), 13.12.2016,  www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2016/1049 > (zit. UN GA, Report I)

-         UN General Assembly / UN Security Council, The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security - Report of the Secretary-General (A/70/924-S/2016/532), 10.06.2016,  www.un.org/ga/
search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/70/924 > (zit. UN GA, Report II)

-         UN OCHA, Internal Displacement due to Conflict, 04.12.2016, < www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/afghanistan/idps > (zit. UN OCHA, IDP)

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-         UN OCHA, Summary of KIS winter Needs Assessment, Approach and Interventions, 01.02.2016, < www.humanitarianresponse.info/system/files/
documents/files/kis_needs_assessment_-_summary_of_results_draft-updated.pdf > (zit. UN OCHA, KIS)

-         UNHCR, UNHCR Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Asylum-Seekers from Afghanistan, 19.04.2016, < www.ecoi.net/file_upload/ 1930_1461054450_570f96564.pdf > (zit. UNHCR, Guidelines)

-         UNHCR Task Force on the Kabul Informal Settlements, Post-Distribution Monitoring Survey Report - Winter Assistance 2014/2015,  reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/pdm_kis_2015_-_final_report.pdf > (zit. UNHCR, KIS)

-         UN-World Food Programm, WFP Afghanistan - Country Brief, 08.2016,  reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Afghanistan%20CB%20August_OIM.pdf > (zit. WFP Afghanistan)

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en/country/afghanistan/overview > (zit. Wordbank, Overview)

-         Worldbank, Afghanistan Development Update, 04.2016, < documents.world
bank.org/curated/en/953921468196145402/pdf/104871-WP-P158556-PUBLIC-AFG-Development-Update-April-2016-final.pdf > (zit. Worldbank, Update)