Ensuring that asylum procedures are fair and efficient, and strengthening the quality of asylum decision making; The Republic of Albania Ministry of Interior (MOI), through its asylum authority, will develop a mechanism to assess asylum processes and decision making with a view to enhancing their fairness, efficiency, sustainability and quality. The MOI has the primary responsibility for determining the international protection status of asylum applicants and will collaborate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in reviewing and enhancing the quality of all aspects of its procedures, thereby granting effective access to international protection for those who need it and facilitating return for those who do not. Such regular review of first-instance interviews and decisions will allow for an assessment of whether international and European refugee law standards are being met. Key to the process is the adoption and effective implementation of the new national asylum law in 2020. Monitoring of the quality of the asylum decision making will also assist in identifying any needs for continued capacity development within the determining authority. In synergy with the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), in particular its asylum capacity building support in the Republic of Albania, UNHCR will provide opportunities for asylum capacity development and training to support the quality of decision-making.
