Parliament on Thursday approved legislation reducing the time limits for appeals against rejected asylum applications, as courts simultaneously upheld deportation decisions. Under the change, the deadline to lodge an appeal against decisions of the asylum service is reduced from 30 to 20 days. According to the MP, the EU Asylum Procedures Directive affords each EU member-state leeway to set “reasonable” deadlines for asylum-related appeals. Earlier on Thursday, the asylum court dismissed multiple appeals by Syrian nationals, ruling that rejection decisions by the immigration department were lawful. The court decisions are seen as reinforcing a stricter immigration policy, particularly in cases involving criminal activity.