4.4.9. Prioritisation policies

The prioritisation of specific cases to provide a speedy assessment at first instance was used for specific categories of applicants or in general for all applicants when a high number of applications were lodged.

In Cyprus, the asylum services prioritised applications submitted in detention and at police stations. Due to an increase in the number of applicants from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and from other African countries, Cyprus examined these applications with priority.

In Spain, the Ministry of Home Affair’s Sub-Secretariat instructed the Asylum and Refugee Office to prioritise applications submitted in Ceuta and Melilla due to a high influx of arrivals. Instructions on the prioritisation of applications submitted on the Canary Islands were adopted on 24 November 2020 and have been in force throughout 2021. In addition, Spain temporarily prioritised applications submitted by Afghan nationals who were evacuated after the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan.