UN refugee agency criticises Slovenia's asylum law

(GENEVA) - The United Nations refugee agency on Monday criticised Slovenia's new asylum law for failing to meet international legal standards and putting asylum seekers at risk of detention or deportation.

Slovenia, which assumed the presidency of the European Union on January 1, brought its new law into force on Friday.

The new legislation was drafted in line with EU asylum directives, following the former Yugoslav republic's entry into the bloc in 2005.

"We now have a law that in transposing European Union directives is actually reducing legal standards below international levels and restricting the prospects of asylum seekers to find protection in Slovenia," said Lloyd Dakin, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees's regional representative in the country.

Dakin said that the EU directives had already set minimum norms, some of which were lower than international ones, and that the UNHCR had already warned this could lead member states to lower their own national legal standards.

"This is exactly what happened in Slovenia, just as it assumes the EU Presidency," he said.

The UNHCR noted that Slovenia already has some of the lowest refugee recognition rates in Europe, with just one asylum seeker recognised as a refugee in 2006, and two in 2007.

The new law could lead to people being deported while their appeal is still being held, and also foresees the widespread use of detention for asylum seekers regardless of whether they have special needs, such as families and children, the UN agency said.