Bulgaria - Judgment № 53/21.04.2015, Administrative Court Dobrich in case 101/2015

The case involves a complaint by the applicant against the refusal of the Director of the Territorial Unite "Migration" in Dobrich to recognise her as a stateless person and issue the corresponding identity document. The Administrative Court of Dobrich considered the case and ruled that the refusal violated Art. 28 of the 1954 Convention and Article 59 of the Bulgarian Identity Documents Act. Moreover, the Court stated that the absence of a body governed by specific legal provisions at the national level does not justify denying rights to stateless persons. The Court highlighted Bulgaria´s ratification of the 1954 Convention and emphasised the need for administrative assistance to stateless people.

Case name (in original language)
Решение № 53/21.04.2015, Административен съд Добрич по дело 101/2015
Case status
Decided
Case number
101/2015
Citation
Administrative Court Dobrich, G. N. T. v. Ministry of Interior Bulgaria (Case № 101/2015), Judgment № 53/21.04.2015
Date of decision
State
Court / UN Treaty Body
Administrative court – Dobrich
Language(s) the decision is available in
Bulgarian
Applicant's country of birth
Uzbekistan
Applicant's country of residence
Bulgaria
Relevant Legislative Provisions
  • Article 59 par. (8), Bulgarian Identity Documents Act
  • Article 59 par. (1) and (8), Bulgarian Identity Documents Act
  • Articles 1 par. (1), 25, 28 of the 1954 Convention
  • Article 5 par. (4), 35 Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria
Facts

The applicant applied to the Director of the Territorial Unit "Migration" in Dobrich for recognition as a stateless person and issuance of an identity document with statelessness status as well as a certificate for travelling abroad. The application was referred to the Ministry of Interior's Migration Directorate (Migration Directorate) which issued an opinion stating that there is no legal basis to grant the application, denied the applicant’s statelessness status and refused to issue the requested documents. The applicant then filed a complaint before the Administrative Court Dobrich. The dispute in the present case concerns whether Bulgarian legislation has designated a national level authority which is responsible for granting statelessness status and providing travel documents.

Decision & Reasoning

The Court found that the administrative decision (i.e. the opinion of the Migration Directorate) was improperly issued and that the Migration Directorate was in fact the competent authority to grant statelessness status and issue related documents. The Court emphasised the obligation of the State to provide a means for realising subjective rights, as recognised by the 1954 Convention. Additionally, the Court noted that the absence of a body governed by specific legal provisions at the national level does not justify denying such rights to stateless persons.

The Court highlighted Bulgaria´s ratification of the 1954 Convention and rejected the Migration Directorate’s argument that reservations under Article 28 of the 1954 Convention justified the refusal. According to Article 5 par. (4) of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria, international treaties that have been ratified and have entered into force are part of Bulgarian national law and take precedence over those provisions of domestic law that conflict with them. (“Според Конституцията на Република България – чл.5, ал.4 – международните договори, ратифицирани по конституционен ред, обнародвани и влезли в сила за Република България, са част от вътрешното право на страната. Те имат предимство пред тези норми на вътрешното законодателство, които им противоречат.”) The legal basis for the issuance of documents to stateless people is regulated by Article 28 of the 1954 Convention and Article 59 par. (1) and (8) of the Bulgarian Identity Documents Act which explicitly states that the competent authority to issue a certificate for travelling abroad to a stateless person is the Ministry of Interior.

The Court therefore finds no grounds for the Migration Directorate’s view that there is no explicit legal provision obliging it to grant statelessness status and issue the necessary documents. It is a well-known fact that the Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Interior is responsible for matters related to the regulation of migration processes and administrative control over the residence of foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria. (“Поради това съдът намира за неоснователно становището на административния орган, че не съществува изрична правна норма, която да задължава ГДГП /преди/, респ. Дирекция “Миграция” към настоящия момент да предоставя статут на лице без гражданство и да издава необходимите за това документи. Ноторно известен факт е, че с чужденците в Република България се занимава именно дирекция “Миграция” при МВР.”) Therefore, the Migration Directorate must issue the documents requested by the applicant. Contrary to the Migration Directorate’s arguments, the absence of an authority regulated by a specific legal provision at the national level cannot constitute a legitimate ground for denying the rights of stateless persons.

Moreover, the administrative body has the obligation to gather evidence as to whether there are insurmountable reasons why the applicant cannot renew the travel document issued by the Republic of Uzbekistan. In the present case, the relevant administrative authority i.e., the Migration Directorate did not fulfill its obligation, which violates Article 25 of the 1954 Convention. (“Tо е следвало административния орган да събере доказателства има ли и какви са непреодолимите причини, поради които Т. не може да поднови документа си за пътуване в Република Узбекистан. Това видно не е сторено от административния орган, което е нарушение на административнопроизводствените правила и е в противоречие с чл.25, т.1 от Конвенцията.”)

Outcome

The Court found the refusal to be against the law, annulled it, and ordered the Migration Directorate to pay the applicant the costs incurred in the case. The Court emphasised the need for administrative assistance to stateless people and ordered the case to be returned to the administrative body i.e. the Migration Directorate for a new ruling, considering the instructions provided in the Court´s decision.

Caselaw cited

Court decision № 8269/21.12.2013 of Administrative Court Sofia-City