Dublin and admissibility cases
Unaccompanied children in the Dublin procedure
Are you a minor child? And have you gotten a rejection on the possibility to go to Denmark in accordance with the Dublin procedure, although you have family here? Then you have the right to complain. Contact Danish Refugee Council (DRC) for more information.
When children apply for asylum without their parents or other adults responsible for them, the children are unaccompanied.
The Dublin Regulation states that an unaccompanied child should have his or her asylum case examined in the EU Member State where a family member or a relative is legally present, if this is in the child’s best interests. A family member can for example be a parent, a sibling, an aunt, an uncle, or a grandparent.
This means that the EU Member States can use the Dublin Regulation to bring together unaccompanied children and their family members or relatives.
For example, if an unaccompanied child applies for asylum in Greece and has parents, siblings, or relatives in Denmark, then the Greek authorities can ask the Danish Immigration Service to take responsibility for the child’s asylum case and allow the child to come to Denmark.
If the Danish Immigration Service refuses to let the child come to Denmark, then the child can complain.
How do I complain?
Danish Refugee Council (DRC) provides free legal counselling and representation to all asylum seekers in the Danish Dublin procedure who wish to complain about a decision from the Danish Immigration Service.
Normally it is only possible for asylum seekers staying in Denmark to complain about a Dublin decision from the Danish Immigration Service.
However, unaccompanied children who have applied for asylum in another EU Member State and wish to be together with family members or relatives in Denmark can also complain if the Danish Immigration Service has rejected to take responsibility for their asylum case. In such a situation, the child will be informed about the possibility to complain about the decision and get assistance from DRC. It is important that the child complains as soon as possible and no later than 7 days after receiving the negative decision from the Danish Immigration Service.
For more information about DRC’s legal counselling and representation to unaccompanied children in the Dublin procedure contact us on [email protected] or telephone number +45 33735000.