Article 4 - Prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
Key facts of the case:
An asylum seeker appealed a decision from the Danish Immigration Service ruling the asylum seeker to be transferred to Italy. The applicant had already been denied asylum by the Italian authorities. The decision to transfer the applicant to Italy therefore had its legal basis in the Dublin Regulation. The applicant appealed the decision to the Danish Refugee Appeals Board claiming that the reception facilities in Italy were poor subjecting the applicant to a risk of treatment contrary to article 4 of the Charter.
Key legal question raised by the Court:
The legal question in the case is whether the applicant would be at risk to be subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, prohibited in the Charter article 4, if transferred to Italy, thus, rendering a transfer illegal.
Outcome of the case:
Based on information reports provided by the Danish Refugee Council, the Danish Refugee Appeals Board concluded that certain indicators of a deficient reception system is existing, however, not to such an extent that it poses a risk to violate the applicant’s rights as stated in the Charter article 4.
The Appeals Board referred to the case of M. T. v. the Netherlands (App. No. 46595/19) of April 15 2021, from the European Court of Human Rights that dealt with the question of a possible risk of treatment contrary to article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights in the reception facilities of Italy. The European Court of Human Rights did not find such a risk.
The Board thus affirmed the decision by the Danish Immigration Service to transfer the asylum seeker to Italy.
”The Appeals Board finds that there are no substantial reasons to assume that that such general deficiencies are present in the asylum procedure and reception facilities in Italy, that transfer of the applicant to Italy would result in a risk for inhuman or degrading treatment as defined in article 4 in the European Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights.”
”Thus, there is no basis to conclude that such general deficiencies are present in the asylum procedure and reception facilities in Italy, that transfer of the applicant to Italy would result in a risk for inhuman or degrading treatment as mentioned in the European Convention of Human Rights article 3 or the European Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights article 4.”
”The Fact that a French administrative body in a decision of October 15 2018, found that a specific transfer of an asylum seeker to Italy through the procedure of the Dublin Regulation would pose a risk of violation of the asylum seeker’s rights provided by the European Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights article 4 and that the asylum seeker therefore couldn’t be transferred can’t lead to a different conclusion.”
”Nævnet finder imidlertid, at der ikke er væsentlige grunde til at antage, at der er sådanne generelle systemfejl i asylproceduren og i modtageforholdene i Italien, at en overførsel af klageren til Italien vil medføre en risiko for umenneskelig eller nedværdigende behandling som defineret i artikel 4 i Den Europæiske Unions charter om grundlæggende rettigheder.”
”Der er således ikke grundlag for at antage, at der er sådanne generelle systemfejl i asylproceduren og i modtageforholdene i Italien, at en overførsel af klageren til Italien vil medføre en risiko for umenneskelig eller nedværdigende behandling som nævnt i Den Europæiske Menneskerettighedskonventions artikel 3 eller Den Europæiske Unions charter om grundlæggende rettigheders artikel 4.”
”Det forhold, at en fransk forvaltningsdomstol den 15. oktober 2018 har fundet, at en konkret overførsel af en asylansøger til Italien i medfør af Dublinforordningen ville risikere at krænke asylansøgerens rettigheder i strid med Den Europæiske Unions charter om grundlæggende rettigheders artikel 4, og at asylansøgeren derfor ikke kunne overføres til Italien, kan ikke føre til en ændret vurdering.”
