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Important news from EUAA and the world of COI

Our approach to COI news

The News section aims to inform users about recent COI publications or upcoming workshops/conferences. EUAA selects information provided in the News section according to its relevance to the COI and asylum fields. EUAA welcomes suggestions to insert a particular news (event, publication).

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14 December 2022

EUAA’s first COI publication on Colombia focuses on complex peace and conflict dynamics

The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has published a Country Focus report – on Colombia – for the first time. The report covers the period between 2021 and the first months of President Gustavo Petro's newly elected administration which was inaugurated in August 2022. It provides updated information that supports decision-makers in assessing international protection claims made by Colombian nationals. The report focuses extensively on the impact the post-FARC security landscape on civilians and individual profiles relevant for international protection.

Colombia has experienced more than five decades of conflict involving the country's security forces, left-wing guerrilla groups and their successors, right-wing paramilitary groups and their successors, gangs, and organised criminal groups. In 2016, Colombia's government signed a historic peace agreement to end the protracted conflict with the FARC-EP, a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group active since 1964.

Following FARC-EP's demobilisation, armed groups have reconfigured, expanded, and fragmented the security landscape, driven also by new criminal motivations for territorial control and illicit economies. Violence and social control by armed groups, displacement, confinement, homicides, organised crime, extortion, and targeted killings of social leaders continue to impact civilians.

UNHCR reports that there were 6.8 million internally displaced people in Colombia as of 2021, just slightly less than Syria. In August 2022, Colombia elected President Gustavo Petro who vowed to implement the 2016 FARC-EP peace deal and attempt to negotiate with other armed actors.

Asylum applications by Colombians in the EU+

Between January 2021 and September 2022, Colombians were the seventh largest group of applicants for international protection in the EU+. Since November 2021, applications by Colombian nationals have fluctuated between 2 400 and 4 000, monthly, while in September 2022, Colombians lodged the most applications (4 070) since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020.

EU+ countries issued approximately 36 500 decisions at first instance on Colombian applications since January 2021. During this period, 7 % of the decisions granted refugee status and subsidiary protection, and 24 % granted national forms of protection (not regulated at EU level). 

Background 

The report was drafted in accordance with the EUAA COI Report Methodology (2019) by COI researchers from the EUAA COI Sector. It was reviewed by COI researchers from Belgium – CEDOCA and Sweden – Unit for Migration Analysis. The report was also reviewed by external reviewer Jeremy McDermott, an expert in organised crime and armed groups in Colombia, who is the co-director of the Colombia-based thinktank InSight Crime. As always, the European Union Agency for Asylum thanks our EU+ partners and external reviewers for peer-reviewing this report.

 

The report can be downloaded from the EUAA COI Portal.


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  • Colombia

29 September 2022

EUAA publishes Medical Country of Origin Report on the Russian Federation

The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has published a Medical Country of Origin Information (MedCOI) report on the Russian Federation. It aims to provide EU+ asylum caseworkers with information on the overall epidemiological situation in Russia, as well as the challenges in accessing healthcare; as they consider international protection requests from Russian nationals.  

Drafted with the support of International S.O.S., and based on over 400 reliable sources, the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) is providing an update on the healthcare and public health insurance systems in the Russian Federation, as well as more detailed information on specific disease and patient groups. Some of the report’s findings include: 

 

Russia’s public healthcare system has a number of strengths including the relative success of universal access in urgent and emergency situations, as well as healthcare that is free and of good quality in many cities and regional capitals. However, the report also identifies some important problems in the public healthcare system including a lack of funding, patient orientation and user-friendliness, as well as understaffing in many places, but especially in rural areas. Indeed, the 10 wealthiest regions have almost double the health funding compared to the poorest regions.   

 

Out of pocket expenditures have increased significantly over the past 20 years, and are dominated by the cost of medication.  About half of out of pocket spending goes to pharmaceutical products and medical items. While Russia’s pharmaceutical market is growing quickly and is anticipated to soon become one of the top 10 markets in the world, the availability of drugs remains uneven. Procurement and distribution of medical supplies are unreliable, resulting in drug shortages or rampant price changes. 

 

The report can be reviewed and downloaded directly here. 

  • Russian Federation

28 September 2022

12 years on, civilians still exposed to armed conflicts and targeted attacks in Syria

The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has just published three Country of Origin Information (COI) reports on Syria. With them, the Agency is providing an update on the security situation, the targeting of certain profiles and groups in the country, as well as the socio-economic context in Damascus city. The reports will also contribute to a forthcoming update of the EUAA's Country Guidance on Syria (2022). In the first six months of 2022, Syrians were the second largest group of applicants for international protection in the EU+.[1]

Security situation 

In 2022, Syria entered the 12th year of the conflict. The country continues to be the scene of several international and non-international armed conflicts. While no major frontline changes were recorded during the reporting period (April 2021 to July 2022), armed confrontations between different actors took place, leading to civilian casualties, infrastructure damage and displacement in several parts of the country, most notably in areas in north-western, north-eastern, and southern Syria. The EUAA report describes in detail the security trends across Syria and in each governorate between April 2021 and July 2022, with a focus on the nature of the violence and impact on civilians.

Targeted attacks in Syria

Over the reporting period, persons perceived as opponents or collaborators have been targeted by various armed actors operating in Syria, such as the Government of Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, the Syrian National Army, and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The EUAA report documents targeted attacks and human rights violations against specific risk profiles, including political opponents, draft evaders, women, and members of religious, ethnic or sexual minorities.

Socio-Economic Situation

The EUAA report addresses the socio-economic situation in Damascus city as well as mobility-related issues between April 2021 and July 2022. It finds that during the reporting period the Syrian pound significantly devalued, while food prices and poverty levels were reported to increase substantially. 

Syrian applications in Europe

In the first six months of 2022, Syrians were the second largest group of applicants for international protection in the EU+.[2]  During this period, Syrian applications fluctuated between 6 400 and 8 000 monthly, rising to around 9 000 applications in June.

Since January 2022, EU+ countries have issued approximately 54 400 decisions at first instance on Syrian applications, with a recognition rate of 94 %. At the end of June 2022, some 59 700 Syrian applications were pending at first instance. Nearly half were awaiting a decision for more than six months. The latest asylum trends for applicants from Syria, and other countries of origin, can be found on the EUAA website.

Background

The three reports were prepared in accordance with the EUAA COI Report Methodology, with both drafting and review involving several COI units in EU+ countries. This information is a crucial component when assessing individual protection needs and, separately, developing Country Guidance. The common analysis on Syria as a Country of Origin, agreed with Member States' experts, enables the Agency to drive convergence in national asylum practices.

Read the three Country of Origin Information reports here: 


[1] This overview is based on EUAA Early warning and Preparedness System (EPS) data.

[2] This overview is based on EUAA Early warning and Preparedness System (EPS) data.

  • Syrian Arab Republic

19 September 2022

Taliban has had major impact on security and women’s rights in Afghanistan

​The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has recently published three Country of Origin Information (COI) reports on Afghanistan. With them, the Agency is providing an update on the targeting of certain profiles and groups in the country, the security situation as well as the socio-economic context. Since September 2021, Afghan nationals continue to be the largest group of asylum applicants in EU+ countries.

Targeted attacks in Afghanistan

Since the Taliban took power a year ago, conflict-related violence levels have decreased but targeted attacks against certain groups have been prevalent, including against persons affiliated with the former government and its security forces. The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) – a terror group included in the EU Sanctions Regime – has further carried out attacks resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths and targeted, inter alia, Shia mosques with suicide bombings.

The Taliban have also been implementing their interpretation of sharia throughout the country, such as by instructing women to cover their face and to be accompanied by a male guardian for longer trips. Enforcement of restrictions has varied between provinces, however. Girls are not allowed to resume secondary education nationally, but some have been able to do so in certain provinces.

Individuals accused of not abiding by issued instructions have faced violence by Taliban members. In addition, people expressing dissent, such as women's rights activists, or criticism on social media are sometimes subjected to arbitrary detention. Although local media have been allowed to continue operating, journalists have occasionally been detained or pressured into not reporting on certain issues.

Socio-Economic Situation

Even before the Taliban takeover on 15 August 2021, Afghanistan was experiencing a severe humanitarian and financial crisis. That situation was aggravated by the Taliban takeover and made worse still by the recent 5.9-magnitude earthquake in June, which left over a 1 000 people dead and 270 000 affected. The EUAA report on key socio-economic indicators finds that large parts of the population face increased poverty, unemployment, and food shortages. Some people have resorted to selling their organs and marrying off young girls.

Afghan applications in Europe

Between September 2021 and June 2022, Afghans were overall the largest group of applicants for international protection in EU+ countries. The number of Afghan applications peaked at 18 200 in September 2021 and has ranged between 8 000 to 9 100 per month in 2022. 13% of Afghan applicants were unaccompanied minors.

During the same period, EU+ countries issued around 57 000 decisions at first instance on Afghan applications. Earlier this year, the EUAA reported especially high recognition rates in October and November 2021 (91 %). At the end of June 2022, some 68 800 Afghan applications were pending at first instance, and the recognition rate had dropped sharply to 51%. For more information, see the EUAA's Latest Asylum Trends.

Read the three Country of Origin Information reports here: 

  • Afghanistan

06 July 2022

EUAA publishes a COI report on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM/C) in Mali

The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has published a Country of Origin Information (COI) report on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) in Mali. The report maps FGM practices and trends at the national and regional levels in Mali and provides updated and contextual information to case officers and decision makers while assessing international protection claims.

Taking the last Demographic Health Survey as its starting point, the report complements, contrasts and/or corroborates it with more recent studies and research carried out and published mostly between 2017 – 2022, focusing on:

  • The legal and policy framework, national statistics, trends and prevalence of the practice
  • Societal attitudes and drivers of FGM/C, as well as information on those that perform it and on types of FGM/C
  • The role of international agencies and NGOs, and consequences of not undergoing FGM/C.

EU Asylum Situation for Mali nationals

Malian applications for international protection in the EU+ decreased progressively from 2018 to 2020 but rose in 2021 to about 9 000.[1] In the first four months of 2022, Malians lodged over 2 500 applications. Both in 2021 and so far in 2022 some 12 % of the applications were lodged repeatedly in the same EU+ country.  In these periods, there have been very few unaccompanied minors among Malian applicants (just 2 %). At the end of April 2022, close to 9 400 Malian cases were awaiting a decision at first instance in EU+ countries. The latest asylum trends for applicants from Mali, and other countries of origin, can be found on the EUAA website. 

Background


The report was drafted in accordance with the EASO COI Report Methodology by COI researchers from the EUAA COI Sector. It was reviewed by France - OFPRA, Netherlands - OCILA and Switzerland - State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). As always, the European Union Agency for Asylum thanks our partners in the EU+ for peer-reviewing this report. 

The report can be downloaded from the EUAA COI Portal.

[1] This overview is based on EUAA Early warning and Preparedness System (EPS) data.


  • Mali