If the asylum decision is negative, it will include a deportation order and instructions for legal remedies.683 Decisions by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees can be appealed to the administrative courts. An initial appeal may be made at the Administrative Court Verwaltungsgerichte (VG) to overturn the refusal/rejection of the application and must be filed within two weeks.684 Representation is not mandatory at this stage. An applicant may appeal to the Higher Administrative Court (Oberverwaltungsgericht/ Verwaltungsgerichtshof (OVG/VGH)) for a review of the decision of the court of origin, but review will only be granted for significant questions of fact or law.685 Finally, the Federal Administrative Court (BVerwG) may review a case for significant questions of law. A decision by the Federal Administrative Court usually cannot be contested further.686 In general, judges are not bound to follow prior cases under the civil law tradition. Jurisdiction of the court is based on the asylum seeker’s place of residence, and there is considerable variation in outcomes due to judicial independence. Generally appeals have suspensive effect; however, for cases where the application is rejected as “manifestly unfounded” or “inadmissible,”687 appeals do not have automatic suspensive effect, and the applicant must apply to the Administrative Court to suspend the decision of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.688 In the case of a negative decision, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees will issue a deportation order. It will determine a deadline of 7 to 30 days for leaving the country voluntarily;689 otherwise the deportation will be enforced.690 There are several decisions by different courts regarding the return of Palestinians to Lebanon and Israel (see cases under Section 6). The most recent case concerning the possibility of obtaining a Laissez-Passer from the Lebanese Embassy for a return to Lebanon indicates that this is not a possibility. The Courts take the view that there is no possibility of returning to Israel if the applicant is Palestinian and has no citizenship. There are no documented figures about deportation or voluntary return by Palestinians. 683 State of Germany, “Asylum Procedure Act (Asylverfahrensgesetz, AsylVfG),” Sections 31(1) and 34. Ibid., Section 74(1). 685 Ibid., Section 78. 686 The Federal Administrative Court will review decisions on points of law. In cases where the Federal Administrative Court disagrees with the law of a decision, it will remand the decision to be decided in light of an instructed analysis. From a denial at the Federal Administrative Court, appeals may be to the Federal Constitutional Court, but it is extremely rare for the Court to accept an asylum claim. Appeal is also possible to the CJEU in some cases. Information provided by Laura Hilb. 687 State of Germany, “Asylum Procedure Act (Asylverfahrensgesetz, AsylVfG),” Section 30. 688 There are ways to restore suspensive effect, but these are limited in time and by procedural law due to section 36 (3) of the Asylum Procedure Act: legal remedy within one week. Ibid., Section 36(3). 689 Ibid., Section 34; State of Germany, “Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz, AufenthG) [with Amendments],” Section 59. 690 State of Germany, “Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz, AufenthG) [with Amendments],” Section 58. 684 Survey of Protection at the National Level 141