3.2.1. Initiatives for more efficient implementation 

Following the endorsement of the Dublin roadmap in November 2022, Member States launched several initiatives to increase the efficiency of their Dublin units and procedures. Some good practices were summarised in a European Commission working document, which was published in November 2023.324  

Institutional structure and recruitment initiatives

Following the increased workload of Dublin units since 2022, the recruitment and training of new staff continued in several countries in 2023 to increase capacity– for example in Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland. A shortage of staff still remained an important issue in Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. To address this issue, a new initiative was launched in Luxembourg to train more staff on conducting Dublin interviews. In Norway, staff members with expertise on the Dublin procedure from other units provided support in delivering training to new colleagues. Case officers from other services provided additional support in Slovenia for the implementation of the Dublin III Regulation, after following EUAA training. Capacities at the airport were increased in Austria to accommodate more incoming transfers from other EU+ countries. Swedish authorities were anticipating an increase in the number of Dublin cases and recruited new staff accordingly, but in the end the case load substantially decreased. Newly-recruited employees were offered other positions within the Swedish Migration Agency (SMA) in an effort to keep their knowledge and expertise should the number of Dublin cases begin to increase again.

As the number of staff substantially increased throughout 2022, the Belgian Immigration Office’s Dublin unit was restructured in 2023, creating additional sub-divisions and further dividing tasks. The Greek Dublin unit created a dedicated policy sub-division, tasked with the provision of expertise and advice on the interpretation of the relevant legal framework and suggesting improvements to the procedure. The Dublin unit in Luxembourg was also re-structured, and responsibilities and tasks were redistributed. Re-organisation within the Luxembourgish police allowed for more efficient planning and implementation of transfers. In Bulgaria, staff members in the Dublin unit were assigned specific tasks instead of each staff member following up on all aspects of the Dublin procedure in general. 

Changes for more efficient administrative practices

Member States revised their working methodologies for improved efficiency. The Greek Dublin unit undertook a mapping of internal workflows and standard operating procedures in order to establish a standardised workflow, for example for the training of new staff. To this end, the EUAA continued to provide support for the referral of Dublin cases from the Reception and Identification Service (RIS) to the Greek Dublin unit. 

The Cypriot Dublin unit, with the support of the EUAA, also worked on a workflow to ensure that files reach the Dublin unit from the Pournara reception centre in a timely manner. It was identified that a digitalised system for case management was needed to achieve a significant improvement in the workflow. 

The Dublin unit in Germany adapted to the increased workload by adjusting its workflows and prioritising certain tasks and cases. In Finland, the Dublin unit, in cooperation with the police and the border guard, analysed the European Commission’s Roadmap and the EUAA’s updated recommendations. As a result, its instructions and practical tools were updated. The French Dublin unit produced new guidelines for booking flights and a tool to have a better overview of the different restrictions, in an effort to support local Dublin units and the border police in implementing transfer decisions.

Dutch authorities set up a pilot project whereby a special team processes the cases of applicants with a certain profile, including those with disruptive behaviour in the Dublin procedure. The IND processes their cases in an accelerated manner and the Repatriation and Departure Service (DT&V) prioritises their Dublin transfers.325
 
Belgian authorities noted the significant impact of the comprehensive measures introduced in 2022, including a new reception facility accommodating some applicants in the Dublin procedure,326 which have reduced the length of the Dublin procedure and increased the implementation rate of transfers.
 
In order to limit absconding during the Dublin procedure, the Law on International and Temporary Protection was amended in Luxembourg. It includes a list of circumstances when the authorities can presume that there is a significant risk of absconding when deciding on the detention of an applicant based on the rules of the Dublin III Regulation.327  
 
Digitalisation

Several countries continued to explore the potential of digitalisation in making the Dublin procedure more efficient. The Bulgarian Dublin unit participated in a study visit to Greece, facilitated by the EUAA, to exchange with Greek counterparts about their experiences in recently introducing a set of tools and digital systems for case management for the implementation of the Dublin III Regulation. The Greek authorities were in the process of transitioning to the new Alkyoni II digital case management system. 

The German Dublin unit was working on an IT project which aims to support the workflow of outgoing requests and transfer procedures. In Italy, the Dublin unit started working on an IT solution to improve the workflow of outgoing transfers and transfer decision appeals, which could assist with the clearing of the current backlog. The Estonian Dublin unit planned to develop a case management system in 2024. The Irish Dublin unit updated security certificates and the IT infrastructure to maintain DubliNet access. 

The Dublin unit in Spain was faced with temporary issues in accessing databases of the national police at the beginning of 2023, causing delays in their case load. However, a new asylum database was deployed in 2023, which is also applicable for Dublin cases, and in 2024 the unit plans to adapt the Dublin forms for it.