0BIAS

0BIAS (Overcoming Biases in Asylum Systems) investigates the legal, conceptual, and cultural biases affecting nonreligious asylum seekers within the European Union asylum system. The project is based on the premise that existing asylum frameworks do not adequately address the specific and complex circumstances of a growing number of nonreligious applicants, who often remain overlooked.

Current asylum procedures predominantly assess claims through religious concepts such as belief, membership, or religious practice. In practice, nonreligious cases are often evaluated using religious criteria, such as membership or practice, which fall short when assessing the experiences of nonreligious applicants. In addition, nonreligious individuals from Muslim-majority countries are often presumed to be Muslim, creating further obstacles to the assessment of their claims. 

Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, 0BIAS combines quantitative analysis of EU-wide asylum case data (2011–2026) with qualitative interviews conducted in Arnhem, Cologne, Paris, and Trento. The project examines how nonreligion is recognised and adjudicated as a ground for international protection, and how individual characteristics and country-of-origin factors shape both positive and negative biases throughout asylum procedures and reception systems. 

Hereby, particular attention is given to applicants from Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt. These North African countries have recently been designated by the European Union as safe countries of origin, resulting in accelerated asylum procedures and more restrictive access to protection. 

Finally, 0BIAS explores the mechanisms through which such biases are reproduced, reinforced, or challenged by key actors, including asylum applicants, decision-makers, legal representatives, and civil society organisations. By identifying these dynamics, the project aims to contribute to a better understanding of nonreligious asylum claims.