Refugees and asylum-seekers are at acute risk of falling victims to trafficking or smuggling due to their unique position of vulnerability and since 2015, the country’s legal framework has been broadened to punish human trafficking and to enhance protection for victims the country. Act No. 9/2017 of 25 May on measures to combat human trafficking and to protect victims updates the existing legislative framework by amending various laws in keeping with the obligations arising from the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, ratified by Andora in 2011. It amends, among others, Act No. 6/2014 of 24 April on social and health services, by introducing provisions on services and assistance for the physical, psychological and social recovery of victims of trafficking, including assisted returns to their country of origin or to any other country that offers the required level of protection, when this is requested by the victim. However, there are currently no mechanisms in place to guarantee that persons that are victims of trafficking and who may have a well-founded fear of persecution would receive effective protection or assistance they deserve as no proper referral system to the RSD procedure exists.

Andorra is neither a State party to the 1954 Convention relating to the status of stateless persons, nor to the 1961 Convention on the reduction of Statelessness. Because Andorra prohibits dual nationality, every naturalization applicant must relinquish their previous citizenship before receiving Andorran nationality.  Naturalization’s renunciation requirement could create a gap between loss of the original citizenship and acquisition of Andorran citizenship, giving rise to risk of statelessness.