Ferguson

European Asylum law and policy; the EU and Slovak perspectives

The right of asylum is rooted in the history of mankind (religious right of asylum (sanctuary)) and since the beginning of the modern State it has been rooted in the sovereignty of the State itself (the right of territorial asylum). The State retains the right to grant its protection to certain non-nationals or stateless persons, as a consequence of its territorial sovereignty, once the conditions laid down by the State have been complied with. In principle, it is the sovereign State itself which decides in which circumstances a person deserves such protection.