Accelerated Asylum Procedures: Comparing International Practice

With asylum systems around the world facing ever-increasing backlogs and delays, many governments are implementing various forms of accelerated processing to speed up asylum procedures. Fair and fast asylum processing is in the best interest of both governments and asylum applicants. However, many existing approaches to acceleration tilt the balance too far towards efficiency, at the cost of fairness. This article examines the proliferation of accelerated procedures around the world, highlighting both commonalities and differences, as well as key concerns. It situates the Swiss accelerated asylum procedures within comparative practice around the world. The Swiss procedures include key safeguards absent in other jurisdictions, and come closest to balancing fairness and efficiency. However, regardless of these safeguards, acceleration comes with risks, including an increased likelihood of incorrect decisions, and the removal of people owed international protection, in violation of international law.