Put yourself in his shoes. Seventeen months trying to schedule an asylum appointment, to no avail. That’s what a Colombian citizen went through until the National Court said “enough is enough.” From May 2022 to October 2023, he tried the online portal and the phone… nothing. According to the court, the government effectively shut the door on the process. So the judge ruled in his favor: the ruling requires the government to grant him an appointment.
This ruling isn’t a one-off. Thousands of people fleeing conflicts—in Colombia, Ukraine, Afghanistan—face the same closed door. NGOs like CEAR, which handled this Colombian man’s case, have been denouncing this for years. European regulations require effective, simple, and rapid access. But the reality is quite different: an overloaded appointment system that prevents you from even starting the process.
But he didn’t give up. He collected screenshots of every rejection, filed complaints with the Ombudsman and UNHCR, and, in the end, took the matter to court. The National Court accepted that he had expressed his intention to seek asylum and that the government had presumptively denied him an appointment. The result: it recognized his right to obtain the appointment with all legal effects—including authorization to work six months after submitting the application.
Are you in a similar situation? Don’t just keep trying without leaving a paper trail. Save all the evidence:
- Screenshots of failed attempts on the online portal.
- Records of calls to the appointment hotline.
- Emails or any other correspondence.
- Formal complaints to the Ombudsman and, if possible, seek legal advice.
There are an increasing number of court rulings that open the door to legally claiming the right to an appointment. So take action—justice may be on your side.
This ruling comes just before the European Pact on Migration and Asylum takes effect, which tightens the deadlines. Elena Muñoz, coordinator of CEAR, puts it plainly: the government has improved slightly, but it’s still light-years away from what the law requires. This case sets a precedent: the courts can compel the government to comply. And for many, that’s a relief.
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