Pilot Project on quality assurance for first instance asylum proceedings in Austria

From December 2006 until June 2008, the Institute was involved in a quality assurance project financed by the European Refugee Fund and co-financed by the Austrian Ministry of the Interior. During a period of 18 months, the quality of approx. 70 first instance proceedings was analysed on the basis of specific criteria which had been developed beforehand. Subsequently, the findings of this analysis were scientifically edited. The project was implemented by the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights (LBI-GMR) in cooperation with the Federal Asylum Office. Moreover, the project team was supported by a steering committee consisting of representatives of UNHCR, the Red Cross (ACCORD), the Independent Federal Asylum Tribunal, the Ministry of the Interior, the Federal Asylum Office and the LBI-GMR. The analysis of the asylum procedure resulted in the drafting of a report containing the main results (illustrated by concrete examples taken from the analysis) and recommendations for the improvement of the quality of the asylum procedures.