|
Austria |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The Austrian Federal Ministry of Justice established a Commission on the Best Interests of the Child in February 2021, tasked to review the legal framework and practices related to children in the asylum procedure. The Federal Ministry of the Interior conducted an internal review as well, concluding that many of the recommendations were already being applied or were on the way to implementation, and suggesting new measures. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Austria |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
The UK and Northern Ireland were added to the list of safe countries of origin. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Austria |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The Asyl-Train project implemented by IOM Austria continued in 2019 and provided training to relevant national authorities and service providers to help identify trafficked persons in the framework of the asylum procedure. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Austria |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The act establishes the Federal Agency for Care and Support Services. |
AT LEG 02 2019 |
|
Belgium |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
Fedasil launched a seven-module training programme for managers and training in breathing techniques for staff working in reception centres to support their emotional resilience. The content of the training on dealing with aggression was expanded. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Belgium |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Return of former applicants |
The final report of the commission for the evaluation of policies on foreigners' voluntary and forced return (also known as the Bossuyt Commission) was published. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Belgium |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Statelessness in the context of asylum |
Amendments to the Nationality Code clarified that recognition as a stateless person was not required to grant Belgian nationality to a child born in Belgium without a nationality. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Belgium |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Country of origin information |
CEDOCA created a working group on statistics to better understand methodologies and data visualisations in reports. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Return of former applicants |
Fedasil in Belgium issued a new instruction on the implementation of the return process for failed applicants with serious medical issues. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The notification of negative decisions was temporarily suspended for applicants from Afghanistan in August 2021 and the suspension was fully lifted on 2 March 2022. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Belgium |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Content of protection |
The Council of Ministers agreed on the creation of an Inter-ministerial Conference on Migration and Integration. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Belgium |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
A legal amendment explicitly allowed the CGRS to organise interviews through videoconference for applicants for international protection. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Belgium |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The winter plan was signed, for example reserving a certain number of places in the accommodation structure for the homeless, in particular for applicants for international protection. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Belgium |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Belgium adopted an exceptional regulation which temporarily allowed an additional procedural document to be submitted when the appeal was restricted to a written procedure. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Belgium |
2022 |
Institutional |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
Efforts to recruit staff for the Immigration Office, CGRS and Fedasil continued throughout 2022. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The staff of two Fedasil reception centres underwent intensive training on restorative practices, developed by the Oranjehuis NGO, to prevent conflicts between unaccompanied minors and staff, provide sustainable measures for minors and reduce the need for disciplinary transfers. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The CGRS developed and implemented a system to prioritise specific cases or profiles. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Return of former applicants |
An amendment to the Immigration Act further clarified decision-making competences in issuing an order to leave the territory. |
BE LEG 03 2019 |
|
Belgium |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
The Belgian CALL announced that from March 2022 procedural documents can be submitted online. Documents can be sent electronically via J-box, an alternative to traditional registered mail, and for an appeal in a special procedure, this option replaced the traditional submission by fax. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Belgium |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The CGRS published updates on the processing of applications filed by Palestinians. For Palestinians for whom a particular individual well-founded fear of persecution is not established and who depend on assistance from the UNRWA, it must be checked if the individual can still count on assistance from the UNRWA. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Belgium |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
The Council of Ministers adopted the draft royal decree establishing a list of safe countries of origin. The draft did not include any changes to the list of safe countries from the previous year. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Belgium |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Access to procedure |
Applicants had to book an appointment online for their registration between April and October 2020. The first instance tribunal of Brussels ruled that this practice was against the law, hence from 30 October 2020 registration in person started again at the arrival centre, without prior appointment. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Belgium |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The CGRS fully resumed the assessment of asylum claims lodged by Afghan applicants. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The CGRS continued training protection officers and supervisors who were joining the minors team, and informative sessions were organised to all new protection officers. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Access to procedure |
The CGRS in Belgium continued to give refugee status to minor girls with a well-founded fear of persecution due to female genital mutilation, but parents were no longer granted derived refugee status automatically and needed to submit a separate request for regularisation. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |