Lausunto; vastaus Istanbulin sopimuksen täytäntöönpanoon liittyvään kyselyyn

Dnro 73/2017

 

Lausuntopyyntönne: HEL7M1040-30, 1.12.2017

EN; SUOMEN ENSIMMÄISEN RAPORTIN LAATIMINEN NAISIIN KOHDISTUVAN VÄKIVALLAN JA PERHEVÄKIVALLAN EHKÄISEMISESTÄ JA TORJUMISESTA TEHDYN YLEISSOPIMUKSEN TÄYTÄNTÖÖNPANOSTA

 

Ulkoasiainministeriö on pyytänyt Suomen Asianajajaliitolta (jäljempänä “Asianajajaliitto”) vastauksia ns. Istanbulin sopimuksen täytäntöönpanoa valvovan naisiin kohdistuvan väkivallan ja perheväkivallan torjunnan asiantuntijaryhmän (GREVIO) kyselyyn Suomen ensimmäisen raportin laatimiseksi yleissopimuksen täytäntöönpanosta.

 

73-2017_Istanbul_lausuntopyyntö_011217 (pdf) (38.7 KB)

 

Pyynnön mukaisesti Asianajajaliitto esittää vastauksinaan hallinto-oikeutta koskeviin kysymyksiin seuraavaa:

 

 

 

VII Migration and Asylum

A 1.

 

a.  The spouses have the right to demand a separate asylum decision for their asylum case. In that case, the other spouse will not get the information about the other spouse´s interview information. This requires a confidential way of communication directly towards the decision making body or a legal counselor. Usually the legal assistant is neede but not always ensured nowadays. There will thus remain cases in which the autonomous residence permit will not be granted as eg. The wife is not always heard in the case properly due to missing language skills or lack of legal assistance.

 

According to Aliens act 54 § 7. paragraph residence permit may be granted after dissolution of the family tie if applicant’s personal situation is particularly difficult due to domestic violence or exploitation she/he or her/his child has been subjected to or accepted by her/his spouse during the marriage and the refusal of a residence permit would be unreasonable given the circumstances. According to reasoning of the paragraph applicant should provide evidence concerning violence so that residence permit could be granted.

 

b.-e. An individual assessment will be conducted on the eg. individual, humanitarian residence permit grounds or/and in assessing whether the expulsion would be reasonable considering all the circumstances and eg. the best interest of the child.

 

A 2. Data should be provided by the Finnish Immigration Service. We are not sure if it collects this kind of data separately. At least information is not made public.

 

B 1.  Yes, if it can be seen as a form of persecution. In practice convention status would be not be granted in most of the cases, most likely some other form of protection, eg. subsidiary protection status.

 

2. It is not ensured, no specific means to ensure it. If proper legal assisting is granted, legal assistant can try to ensure the gender-sensitive interpretation. Convention status appears to be granted only done at random. No proper free legal aid is granted anymore before the first decision of the Immigration service, because asylum seeker is not allowed to choose legal representative by themselves anymore, if they are not able to pay for services themselves.

 

3.-4. Data should be provided by the Finnish Immigration Service. We believe that it does not automatic collect this kind of data separately. At least information is not made public.

 

C a. Legal assistance should be granted to all asylum seekers equally, so that also eg. women could choose freely the legal counselor of their choice. Independent legal counselor is the key element in ensuring the proper gender-sensitive handling of the cases concerning especially gender sensitive issues. It has to be ensured that the assisting is specialized and done in cultural sensitive ways to ensure the correct decision making. This requires assisting by a refugee specialist. A specialist can help thru the whole process and ensure that eg. asylum interview being conducted by a female interpreter if necessary. The asylum seekers are not in a position to ensure these matters by themselves due to several reasons.

 

b. Gender guidelines should be valued and followed strictly by the decision makers.

 

c. There should be specific guidelines for the asylum procedures and they should be made visible and transparent, so that they would be followed. The right to choose a specialized lawyer should be made possible to ensure the right to choose eg. the sex of the assistant.

 

D. The appeal procedures are used, as in other asylum cases too. According to law in appeal process asylum seeker has the right to choose lawyer of his/her choice. However, in cases where applicant is granted free legal aid paid by the state, reduction of attorneys’ fees paid has reduced the number of lawyers who work properly.

 

E. None.

 

 

Helsingissä 15. päivänä tammikuuta 2018

 

SUOMEN ASIANAJAJALIITTO

 

Jarkko Ruohola

Suomen Asianajajaliiton puheenjohtaja, asianajaja

 

 

LAATI

Asianajaja Kirsi Hytinantti, Asianajotoimisto Hytinantti Law Office Oy, Helsinki. Hytinantti on erikoistunut pakolaisoikeuteen.

 

 

Suomen Asianajajaliiton lausunnot valmistellaan oikeudellisissa asiantuntijaryhmissä, joiden toiminnassa on mukana noin 120 asianajajaa. Tämä lausunto on valmisteltu hallinto-oikeuden asiantuntijaryhmässä.