4.2.10. Reception of applicants in the Dublin procedure

The CJEU held that applicants in the Dublin procedure should have access to the labour market under the same conditions as any other applicant under the recast Reception Conditions Directive (see Section 2.4). Malta changed its policy which now allows applicants in the Dublin procedure to access the labour market 9 months after the lodging of an application, while other applicants become entitled to work as soon as they receive confirmation of their asylum application. The Malta Refugee Council published a statement, endorsed by 28 civil society organisations, expressing their concern with this policy and noting that it may further marginalise their situation, for example, having a negative impact on their mental health.470  

In Belgium, the State Secretary for Asylum and Migration announced that children, applicants with vulnerabilities and first-time applicants have priority to receive reception over applicants who have already sought asylum in another EU Member State.471  

Following a judgment from the Supreme Court in 2018, the Slovenian International Protection Act was amended to include that applicants awaiting a transfer to another country under the Dublin III Regulation have the same reception rights as other applicants until their transfer.