Country Operations

An increase in immigrant arrivals, the implementation of a new EU asylum package, and the need to maintain a high standard in asylum and reception processes motivated Italy to ask the Agency for assistance. 

In June 2013, EUAA (then EASO) and Italy signed the first Special Support Plan with a duration until the end of 2014. This Plan covered a number of prioritised areas, such as data collection and analysis, Country of Origin Information (COI), Dublin system, reception system, emergency capacity and training of independent judiciary, as well as further professional development of the National Asylum Commission. 

In March 2015, a new Special Support Plan was signed to continue support activities, whereas in December 2015 - after the launch of the relocation programme as part of the “hotspot” approach - EUAA and Italy signed the EASO Hotspot-Relocation Operating Plan to Italy. The Plan laid down the conditions and objectives of EASO’s technical and operational support to Italy. In particular, EUAA provided support by joint-processing asylum cases through deployment of asylum support teams (ASTs), composed of national experts. Activities included support with information provision, registration of applications for international protection in view of relocation and handling Dublin 'take charge' requests. 

In 2017 and 2018, the Agency extended its activities in Italy on the basis of an Operating Plan for 2017 with its first amendment and an Operating Plan for 2018. EASO provided support to the Italian authorities with provision of relevant information to potential applicants for international protection; handling registration of applicants for international protection; handling Dublin 'take charge' and 'take back' requests through a dedicated support to the Dublin Unit in Rome; strengthening the reception capacity, in particular with regards to unaccompanied minors; professional development activities and study visits for the Department of Civil Liberties and Immigration (MOI), activities in the field of COI; and strengthening the Ombudsperson for Children and Adolescents in implementing protection measures for unaccompanied children. 

In December 2018, EUAA, the Italian Ministry of the Interior and the Ombudsperson for Children and Adolescents signed a new Operating Plan for 2019¹. Through this framework, the Agency provided support to the Italian authorities in the following areas: designing an information provision system and developing SOPs, referral pathways and monitoring system for Dublin cases; lodging of applications for international protection; processing of first instance decisions and follow-up with regards to appeals at Territorial Commissions; processing of the Dublin procedures at the Dublin Unit; strengthening the Italian COI Unit in standardising high quality COI used in the asylum decision process; implementing a system to monitor and manage the reception system; supporting the Italian Ombudsperson for Children and Adolescents with capacity building activities for volunteer guardians; organising training activities aimed at boosting the technical capacity of immigration police in registering asylum requests. 

With regard to the 2020 Operating Plan, EUAA’s deployments to Italy were reduced as the country had made significant progress in addressing its backlog in first instance and pressure on reception facilities was eased due to decrease in arrivals. As such, EASO shifted its focus to supporting the reduction of backlog of appeals to first instance decisions. The Agency also continued to provide capacity strengthening (although not operational) support on quality reception and asylum. 

In 2020, EUAA continued to be heavily involved in ad hoc disembarkations stemming from SAR (Search and Rescue) events and voluntary relocations based on the Standard Operating Procedures which were agreed to in Malta in the autumn of 2019. Furthermore, EUAA continued to support the quality and standardisation of asylum procedures and the monitoring of the Italian reception system, also supporting the standardisation of procedures and data collection. 

Due to the Covid-19 emergency, an amendment to the 2020 Operating Plan to Italy has been agreed and signed by all beneficiaries. 

The migratory situation in Italy and the national policy environment in the field of asylum and migration have experienced substantial changes over the past years, with a new wave of changes brought by the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020. 
The health emergency and the increase of sea arrivals put the Italian reception system under pressure, with significant impact on the management of the system. 

The Agency support in 2021 builds on the results achieved in 2020, and continued addressing the consequences of the disproportionate pressure on the Italian asylum and reception system, also in view of the Covid-19 health emergency. Specifically, in the 2021 Operating Plan, the following areas were be prioritized: 

• Quality and standardisation of access to asylum procedures, including in emergency situations and ad hoc disembarkation events; 
• Support the quality and standardization of Dublin procedure and asylum determination procedures;  
• Support the management of judicial backlog; 
• Support the quality management and monitoring of the Italian reception system; 
• Support the coordination mechanisms amongst Italian asylum authorities and the efficiency and standardisation of procedures through the development and management of information systems. 

See Press Release (1), Press Release (2), Press Release (3), Press Release (4), Press Release (5) 

To ensure a higher impact on its operations, the EUAA agreed with Italian authorities a 3 year Operational Plan in Italy. From 2022 to 2024 – in accordance with the operational situation and needs assessment carried out with the main Italian stakeholders – the following operational objectives and results will be pursued:

• Enhanced capacity of the Italian authorities to ensure timely and harmonised access to the asylum procedure in compliance with the Common European Asylum System (CEAS).
• Enhanced quality and standardisation of Dublin and asylum determination procedure in Italy.
• Enhanced capacity of the Italian authorities to manage the judicial backlog regarding asylum cases.
• Enhanced quality and sustainability of the Italian reception system.
• Improved coordination of the cooperation and solidarity mechanism among EU MSs and of post SAR disembarkation activities for timely implementation of the Voluntary Relocation process as per Standard Operating Procedures (under the 2019 Malta Declaration).

The Operational Plan was signed by the Head of Department of Public Security and the Vice Head of Department of Civil Liberties and Immigration within the Ministry of Interior, by the Head of Department of Judicial Organization, Personnel and Services of the Ministry of Justice, and by the EUAA Executive Director.

[1] See corrigendum 

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The Agency has been supporting Malta since 2017 in an effort to further enhance the quality of the national asylum and reception system.  

At present, in cooperation with the Maltese authorities and external stakeholders, a new multi-annual Operating Plan was drafted and signed in December 2021 for the period 2022 – 2024. 

Building on the progress achieved through the operational and technical assistance provided, and assuming that the number of arrivals would remain at similar levels as in 2021, the Agency initiated, in cooperation with the Maltese authorities, phasing out from specific support areas towards the end of 2022, with a possible carry over into 2023. 

The 2022-2024 Operational Plan, in this perspective, foresaw a shift of activities, including information provision, and more particularly support in the development of content and tools. Additionally, it has been anticipated a withdrawal of support to AWAS (Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seeker) in the area of age assessments. All other activities that were supported by EUAA during 2021 are part of the current Operational Plan.  

In line with the changes in the operational context following the invasion of Ukraine launched by the Russian armed forces, on 24 February 2022, on 29 April 2022, the 2022-2024 Operational Plan, was amended, following a request of the Ministry of Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement (currently Ministry of Home Affairs, Security, Reforms and Equality) for additional support.  

A third pillar, Temporary Protection Support, was added to the OP Amendment 1, aiming at increasing the capacity of the Maltese authorities to manage the implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD). The expected outcome as agreed with the national authorities was to enhance the capacity of the Maltese authorities to effectively implement the TPD via information provision, TP registrations, assessments of eligibility criteria, as well as issuing of TP decisions and certificates.  

Given the reduced pressure to the Maltese Asylum and Reception system and following a Needs Assessment exercise that was initiated in July 2022, a second Amendment to the Operational Plan was signed between the EUAA and the Maltese Authorities on 15 May 2023. The Amendment superseded Amendment 1 of 29 April 2022, and it foresaw support in the areas of Asylum, Reception, as well as Temporary Protection.  

Asylum authorities requested EUAA's support in 2023, to improve access to the asylum procedure and increase the capacity of the authorities to manage first instance backlog. Building on EUAA's achievements, in 2023 support focused on Quality Assurance in Asylum, in addition to regular support activities (registration & front desk, Dublin, support to asylum decision making processes, digitisation, COI, relocation). In Reception, the Maltese authorities requested EUAA's continued support to enhance the capacity of the Quality Assurance Unit and implement quality assurance reception activities.  

Considering the decreased pressure of the Maltese Asylum and Reception systems, the latest amendment, agreed in May 2023, also foresaw the gradual phase out from operational activities, as well as a planned exit from support by EUAA at the end of 2024. The aim is to ensure a sustainable phase-out strategy with effective handover to the Maltese authorities of activities, with retention of knowledge and continuation of workflows developed with the support of the EUAA. 

In 2017, the main focus of the collaboration with the Maltese government was initially directed towards the revision of the age assessment procedures, the organisation of trainings for the local authorities and the dissemination of best practices for lodging applications of international protection.   

In 2018, EUAA had continued providing its support to the Office of the Refugee Commissioner (now International Protection Agency), by providing training sessions to Caseworkers and Dublin Officers.   

In 2019, the Agency and Malta cooperated on ad hoc voluntary relocation exercises taking place on the Maltese territory. This also included support in the registration of applications of international protection, information provision, support for vulnerability assessments, as well as support to the Dublin Unit.  

During the same year, according to data of the Ministry of Home Affairs, sea arrivals recorded, were more than double in comparison to 2018.  More particularly, during the first seven months of 2019, the number of applications increased by 83% compared with the same period in 2018. A Needs Assessment exercise conducted by EUAA, concluded that the Maltese Asylum and Reception system was facing disproportionate pressure, by straining the national capacity and resources across several areas, including the registration of applications for international protection, first-instance determination, Dublin procedure, and second-instance determination. 

The Maltese Reception system was additionally impacted by the significant number of arrivals recorded in 2019 and early 2020, while the situation was further worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic.  

As early as January 2020 the number of cumulative irregular arrivals to Malta surpassed those recorded in the same period of 2019 and, despite a ban on entry, a significant increase was recorded. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the exacerbation of the conflict in Libya, affected the arrivals in the country and the movements along the central Mediterranean route. In line with nationwide Covid-19 prevention measures, face-to-face registrations in Malta were interrupted for nine weeks before restarting in the second half of May remotely. 

As a result, EUAA had expanded its operational support to Malta in Reception. EUAA personnel deployed started supporting the Maltese authorities in Vulnerability Assessments, Vulnerability screening and Referrals as well as in providing technical support in Reception. Additionally, EUAA continued to support the Maltese authorities with ad hoc disembarkations and voluntary relocations. Towards the end of 2020, the Operating Plan was amended so that the Agency started providing support to age assessment procedures. Operating in the offices of the Refugee Commissioner, EUAA personnel resumed providing support in the registrations of asylum cases, the renewal of asylum seeker documents and administrative work. In parallel, EUAA kept providing support to the Malta Dublin Unit during the pandemic.    

Several tools were reviewed with EUAA’s support, namely: 

• A Referral Form, used to refer vulnerable people to the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (AWAS); 

• A Vulnerability Assessment Tool; 

• A Screening Tool to prioritise cases of registered applicants that need to be assessed; 

• A screening tool to prioritise cases that need to be assessed from the residents that did not have access to the asylum procedure; 

• A recording tool to keep track of the stage of each referral.

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EASO’s support to Cyprus dates back to June 2014, with the establishment of a Special Support Plan. The Plan  allowed EASO to support in a number of areas such as training of staff, support to managing vulnerable groups, advice on age assessment procedures, enhancing the reception conditions, as well as concerning data collection and analytical capacities (i.e. statistics and information technology). Since then, Cyprus continued to request EASO’s support to face the growing  pressure on its asylum system. 

The Operating Plan 2021, signed on 17 December 2020, thus follows eight years of continuous cooperation between EASO and the Republic of Cyprus.  

The 2021 Operating Plan focuses on supporting and enhancing national capacities in the areas of registration of applications for international protection and access to asylum procedure, reception, backlog reduction for first instance and second instance asylum cases. 

The Pournara First Reception Centre continues to be one of the main beneficiaries of EASO support, namely the so-called ‘Safe Zone’, the Examination Centre for interviews and the Registration area.  Activities supported by EASO include   enhancing the system’s efficiency and effectiveness through digitalization and remote working modalities, strengthening the attention on best practices especially in relation to vulnerability and quality, and contributing to the creation and implementation of a national reception model and strategy. The Agency provides technical support and capacity building activities, along with increased operational support, to reduce existing backlog of first and second instance asylum cases, in order to reduce the pressure that the Cypriot asylum system has been experiencing in the last years.

The 2022-2024 Operational Plan, the first of the multi-annual plans to be signed in Cyprus, signed on December 13, 2021 between EASO, the Minister of the Interior and the Chief Registrar of the Republic of Cyprus. The plan aims to continue contributing to the enhanced implementation of the EU Asylum Acquis and EU reception standards for persons in need of protection in Cyprus.  

The 2022 Operational plan provides support to Cypriot authorities in line with the assistance previously provided in 2021,  under 3 measures: Support to Asylum (registration, first instance and determination at appeal), Support to Reception and Cross Cutting Support (applicants with special needs, quality, capacity building digitalization and transfer procedures). 

Regarding Support to Asylum, the EUAA aims at strengthening the capacity of the Aliens and Immigration Unit of the Police (AIU) and the Cyprus Asylum Service (CAS) to respond to registrations and arrivals primarily at the First Reception Centre ‘Pournara’. The Agency will also continue assisting CAS with processing applications at first instance and enhancing the capacity of the International Protection Administrative Court (IPAC) to manage and reduce the backlog at second instance.  

Concerning Support to Reception, the EUAA will continue to implement activities in the Kofinou Reception Centre (i.e. social work, reception support, info provision). Following the development of the integrated national reception strategy in 2021, the EUAA will supports its operationalization and implementation. 

Lastly, the 2022-2024 Operational Plan outlines Cross Cutting Support which the EUAA will be providing to the relevant authorities, to inform practices across asylum and reception. The support provided focuses on streamlining procedures, developing tools and providing the resources for support to applicants with special needs, quality assurance mechanisms, capacity building, digitalization and relocation exercises. 

Throughout the implementation of the Plan, the Agency in Cyprus also plans to begin engaging with, and supporting additional stakeholders, including: the Civil Registry and Migration Department (CRMD), Ministry of Health (MoH) and Social Welfare Services (SWS). 

On 24 February 2022, the Russian invasion of Ukraine led to a nationwide humanitarian emergency. The resulting influx of refugees to the European Union led to Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022, where Art.3 par.2 stipulates that the EUAA should provide operational support to Member States that have requested assistance to help them cope with the situation, including for the purposes of applying the aforementioned Decision. In Cyprus, the Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022 was activated by Ministerial Decision on the 22nd of March 2022, and the article 20 of the Cyprus Refugee Laws which incorporates the Temporary Protection Directive 2001/55/EC.

Against this backdrop on the 13th of April 2022 the Cypriot authorities requested support from the EUAA for the implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive in Cyprus. Following this, the EUAA Executive Director on the 6th of May responded to the request confirming EUAA capacity to support with the allocation of new resources as needed.

Between 14 March and 10 July 2022, a total of 14,215 Ukrainian nationals have registered for temporary protection: 5,103 applications have been lodged online, 874 in offices in Nicosia, 1,763 in Larnaca, 654 in Famagusta, 3,824 in Limassol and 1,997 in Paphos.

We support the authorities to manage the implementation of TPD and EUAA Registration support team is involved in the delivery of information provision, TP registration and assessment of the eligibility criteria. In May EUAA shipped EUAA leaflets on TP for adults and Unaccompanied and separated children, in EN and UKR, tailored to the CY specificities.

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On the 17th of December 2020 EASO`s Executive Director Nina Gregori and the Secretary of State for Migration, Hana Jalloul Muro, signed the very first Operating Plan between the Agency and Spain. This followed extensive consultations since the summer of 2020.  

With this Operating Plan EASO now supports all the major Member States of first arrival – Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Malta, Spain. EASO and the Secretary of State for Migration carried out a Joint Rapid Needs Assessment in the autumn in order to identify needs in the area of reception. Actions for support were subsequently formulated and agreed upon in an Operating Plan. The focus of the Plan is broad support to the development of a new model for reception and the related structural and organisational changes, including training. EASO also committed to work with the Spanish authorities in the Canary Islands where arrivals had risen substantially to over 23,000 by the end of 2020. The Operating Plan also includes an inception phase for cooperation in the area of resettlement.

On the 17th of December 2021 EASO`s Executive Director Nina Gregori and Secretary of State for Migration Jesús Perea Cortijo signed an Operating Plan for the years 2022 and 2023. This cooperation will build on the very first Operating Plan between the agency and Spain implemented (and assessed) throughout 2021.

Actions for support have focused, and will continue to focus, on broad support to the development of a new model for reception and the related structural and organisational changes, including aspects such as data management and funding. EASO also remains committed to working with the Spanish authorities in the Canary Islands and increasingly in other areas of Spain which see high numbers of arrivals.

In addition to broadening and deepening the work on information provision and vulnerability procedures, contingency planning and reception conditions monitoring, the EUAA will seek to provide support to the development of new reception centres throughout the Spanish territory – and to the improvement of existing ones. Cooperation in the area of resettlement, in particular with regard to info materials and training, will continue after successful initiatives in 2021.

Training of a wide range of stakeholders in the area of reception remains overall a key pillar of the new two-year Operating Plan; training activities will cover induction, specific reception-related topics and training of trainers with the aim to strengthen capacity among the authorities.

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Following a Needs Assessment exercise conducted between February and May 2023 by the EUAA in close collaboration with the Lithuanian authorities, a new Operational Plan was signed, with an implementation period from 1 July 2023 until 31 December 2024. This is the third Operational Plan agreed between the EUAA and Lithuania.  The 2023-2024 Operational Plan includes one measure, aiming at the provision of support in Reception, and more particularly in providing Technical and Operational support to the national Reception models and strategies towards the implementation of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS).  

In this regard, the Agency continues supporting the Lithuanian authorities to strategically conceptualise, design and develop the new Reception Agency of Lithuania and enhance the quality of the reception procedures. EUAA’s support in the 2023-2024 Operational Plan currently in place, extends its support through the delivery of trainings and thematic workshops, organisation of study visits to other Member States for information sharing on reception models, good practices exchange, and support with contingency planning.

In the context of reception support, EUAA Asylum Support Teams (ASTs) will be deployed to cover the areas of information provision, vulnerability pre-screening, and interpretation.

Background 

Lithuania’s initial request for EUAA support took place in the summer of 2021. Following an unprecedented increase of irregular migration flows, Lithuania noticed a significant rise in the number of asylum applications, which put pressure on its Asylum and Reception systems.

Following a request from the Lithuanian authorities expressing the need for EUAA’s support in relation to asylum and reception related procedures, a Rapid Needs Assessment exercise was conducted, in collaboration with the national authorities, which led to the signature of the first Operational Plan to Lithuania, on 15 July 2021.  

The Operational Plan objectives aimed to enhance efficiency in access to procedures for applicants, in processing asylum applications and improving the effectiveness and efficiency in managing first line reception. 

During the implementation period of 2021, the Operational Plan was further amended on 14 September 2021, following another Rapid Needs Assessment exercise.  

The amended Operational Plan was extended until 30 June 2022, expanding EUAA support to the Ministry of Social Security and Labour and its subordinate institution – the Refugees’ Reception Centre.   

The new amendment included for the first time support in technical expertise for the design and planning of new reception facilities, as well as dedicated support in the management of reception facilities for vulnerable asylum seekers. 

A second Operational Plan was signed on 26 June 2022, with an implementation period between 1 July 2022 until 30 June 2023. The main findings emerging from the Rapid Needs Assessment suggested proceeding with the deployment of Asylum Support Teams to further enhance the capacity of the national reception sites through continued support with information provision, interpretation and vulnerability screening procedures, as well as by providing relevant reception-related training to enhance the professional development of reception personnel. Furthermore, this Operational Plan included the addition of a second area, and more specifically the provision of Technical Support, aiming at conceptualizing the design of the new Reception Agency in Lithuania.  

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 The EUAA operational support to Belgium in 2024 is based on three pillars: 
•       Frontline response to address reception needs, notably to increase the number of reception spaces available and improve the quality of reception conditions. The Agency deploys expert personnel and supports with interpretation. 
•       Structural support to improve reception conditions especially regarding vulnerable persons, enhance arrival processes and information provision, as well as build the capacity of national authorities through training and learning activities.  
•       Temporary Protection support towards the effective implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive.

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The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has been supporting the Romanian authorities since 2022.  

The current agreed support foresees the implementation of the Operational Plan until December 2024, specifically in the area of Temporary Protection, Asylum and Reception with the aim to enhance the capacity of the Romanian authorities to process asylum applications and provide reception conditions in line with the Common European Asylum System (CEAS),. The responsible authority and main national partner of the EUAA, is the General Inspectorate for Immigration (GII) through its Directorate for Asylum and Integration (IGI-DAI) and the Directorate for Migration (IGI-DM). 

The EUAA has been operating in more than 10 different field locations including Bucharest, Galati, Iasi, Radauti, Somcuta Mare, Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu, Brasov, Timisoara and Constanta.  

In terms of operational activities, the EUAA supports the Romanian authorities in registrations of beneficiaries of temporary protection and of applications for International Protection. The support to temporary protection beneficiaries includes  communication and information provision through the development, design, and distribution of information content, as well as in conducting asylum interviews and drafting assessments at first instance. To ensure the adherence to quality standard, EUAA also provides support to the development or update of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), guidelines and tools. The Agency also supports the GII in improving its reception capacity. To add to that, EUAA provides horizontal support through the deployment of interpreters and provision of training.  

Romania is one of the main entry points for those seeking Temporary Protection following the war in Ukraine. In addition, the country has experienced an increase in the number of applications for International Protection over the last years, resulting in extraordinary pressure on its asylum and reception systems. 

The EUAA signed for the first time an Operational Plan with the Romanian Ministry of Interior on 28 March 2022,and set the framework for the provision of technical and operational assistance, in the areas of Reception and Temporary Protection.

The Agency continued its support to Romania in the areas of Reception and Temporary Protection in 2023, following the signature of the 2023 Operational Plan, with an implementation date until 31 December 2023. Under this OP, support to Asylum was also added. 

A 2024 Needs Assessment Exercise -launched in August 2023- indicated the need for continued support in the areas of Asylum, Reception and Temporary Protection, and led to f an Amendment of the 2023 Operational Plan, which was signed in December 2023. The new implementation period is until the 31 December 2024.

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The Agency has been supporting the Netherlands since 2022 in an effort to further enhance the quality of the national reception system.

In December 2023, the EUAA Executive Director and the Chairman of the board of the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) and the Director General of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) of the Netherlands signed the second amendment of the Operational Plan with implementation until the end of 2024. 

With this amendment, the Agency continues to support the Dutch reception authorities in providing reception conditions in line with the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) and introduces support to the Dutch asylum authorities.
 

In the field of reception, EUAA support focuses on increasing reception capacity and enhancing collaboration on contingency planning. As regards the newly established support in the area of  asylum, the Agency will support with the processing of well-founded asylum applications under the PEPAC project (Project Expedited Processing Asylum Claims) at first instance. 

In the course of 2021, the Netherlands experienced a sharp increase in the occupancy in reception centres, following the relaxation of COVID-related travel restrictions. This increased pressure on the national reception system. 

On 5 May 2022 the Executive Director of EUAA and the Chairman of the board of the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) signed the first Operational Plan. Under this first Plan, the EUAA aimed to support the Dutch national authorities exclusively in providing reception to applicants for international protection and to enhance operational collaboration between the two parties in the field of reception. 

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The EUAA has been supporting the Czech Republic since June 2022  to enhance the capacity of the Czech authorities to effectively implement procedures and activities related to Temporary Protection. 

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 the Czech Republic has been receiving a high number of displaced persons from Ukraine. This event caused increased pressure on the country’s registration and reception capacities. A state of emergency was declared in Czechia as of 4 March 2022 and a contingency plan was fully activated to respond to the uprising needs of displaced persons fleeing Ukraine. 

Under this backdrop, an Operational Plan was signed between the EUAA executive Director and the Minister of Interior of Czechia following a rapid needs assessment, to aid the national authorities until 31 December 2022. 

In December 2022, in consideration of the ensuing high influx of Temporary Protection beneficiaries and the persisting impact on the Czech asylum and reception systems, a 12-month extension of the Plan was agreed until 31 December 2023. In May 2023, following a request by Czech authorities the Plan was amended by excluding the provision of reception containers/units.

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The EUAA is supporting Bulgaria since September 2022 through the implementation of Operational Plans. The current 2023-2024 Operational Plan was signed on 3 July 2023 by the Executive Director of EUAA and the Chairperson of the State Agency for Refugees at the Council of Ministers in Bulgaria. It aims to support the national authorities in processing asylum applications and providing reception conditions in line with the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). Main fields of activities include training, capacity building, interpretation services and support in the following areas: 

1. Quality assurance at first instance.

2. Digitalisation of case file management systems. 

3. Country of Origin Information (COI) and Country Guidance. 

4. Asylum processing at first instance including processing of Dublin requests.

5. First- and second-line reception. 

The Operational Plan is foreseen to last until 31 December 2024. 

Background 

During 2021-2022, Bulgaria experienced a significant increase in arrivals of third country nationals and asylum applications. The increased number of displaced persons from Ukraine seeking safety generated additional stress on the country’s accommodation capacities. These developments exerted pressure on the country’s asylum and reception systems and led the national authorities to request EUAA support on 27 May 2022. 

On 2 September 2022 the Executive Director of EUAA and the Bulgarian national authorities signed the 2022 Operational Plan to last until the end of that year. In this Operational Plan the EUAA supported Bulgaria in the effective implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive and the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). EUAA activities focused on professional development, training and support to the administrative capacity in the field of digitization. 

On 31 October 2022, the Bulgarian authorities requested the continuation and expansion of EUAA support as a result of the persisting pressure on the national asylum and reception systems, further accentuated during the implementation of the 2022 Operational Plan. 

The 2022-2023 Operational Plan was an amendment of the 2022 Operational Plan and it included activities in the area of reception and asylum while it also maintained the measure in support for the implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive. 

In June 2023 the Bulgarian authorities requested further support from the Agency to improve frontline and structural support at central level in asylum and reception. As a result, the two parties signed the current 2023-2024 Operational Plan. As at that point, the flows of beneficiaries of Temporary Protection were relatively low and Bulgarian authorities managed independently the respective procedure, Temporary Protection was not included as a pillar of support in the current Operational Plan.  

Finally, it is worth noting that the EUAA (then EASO) has provided support to Bulgaria through Operating Plans and Special Support Plans from 2013 to 2018. 

The areas of support were various: asylum procedure, delivery of core training, identification of vulnerable people and referrals. 

More information about past support in Bulgaria is available in the tab “Past Operations”

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The EUAA supported the Republic of Slovenia from 16 December 2022 until 30 June 2024 in providing support to the asylum and reception conditions according to the CEAS (Common European Asylum System).   

During 2022, the Slovenian asylum and reception systems faced disproportionate pressure due to multiple factors: 

1. increase in the number of border crossings; 

2. sharp increase in the number of applications for international protection; 

3. additional pressure to the reception system due to beneficiaries of temporary protection being accommodated in reception facilities; 

4. increased difficulty in the management of reception facilities due to the high turnover of residents in reception facilities. 

Against this backdrop, a request for support was addressed to the EUAA in late August 2022 by Slovenian authorities, covering a broad spectrum of matters including vulnerability identification, information provision in reception, asylum and reception procedures, accommodation capacity and interpretation services. 

Following a rapid needs assessment conducted by EUAA, an Operational Plan was agreed and signed between the EUAA Executive Director and the Minister of Public Administration and Acting Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia in December 2022. Furthermore, due to the continuous increasing pressure on the asylum and reception systems, an Amendment 1 to the Operational Plan was signed in June 2023 to extend support to the Republic of Slovenia for an additional year until the end of June 2024, when operational activities were successfully concluded.  

The 2022-2024 Operational Plan allowed the EUAA to support the Slovenian authorities, among other things, in the following areas: 

1. support to the improvement of quality and procedures concerning the processing of asylum applications; 

2. support to the improvement of reception conditions through the support to information provision and vulnerability pre-identification; 

3. support in the implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive; 

4. Trainings and professional development activities for both asylum and reception Slovenian authorities’ officials; 

5. The identification of best practices in both asylum and reception, through exchange study visits. 

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The EUAA supported Austria from February 2023 until June 2024 in providing reception conditions according to the CEAS (Common European Asylum System). In 2022 Austria had been experiencing disproportionate pressure on its reception system, with increased arrivals and a rising number of applicants for international protection. Staffing shortages combined with increasing pressure on the existing reception staff, made the identification and management of vulnerable cases challenging.  

Against this backdrop, the Austrian authorities requested support from the Agency on 31 August 2022 to better respond to emergency reception needs. In consideration of the situation and following a rapid needs assessment, the 2022-2023 Operational Plan was agreed and signed between the EUAA Executive Director and the Director General for Migration and International Affairs of the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior in December 2022. The Operational Plan foresaw support in the following areas: 

1. Support to the management and operation of reception facilities through the deployment of reception personnel.

2. Support to communication and information provision, including through the development of information material. 

3. Support for vulnerability identification, screening and referrals 

4. Training and learning activities.

5. Study visits focusing on reception system management, workflows and procedures 

6. Support with interpretation services. 

Following a request in September 2023 by the Austrian authorities to extend the duration and amend the scope of the support provided by EUAA, Amendment 1 to the Operational Plan was signed by both parties on 29 September 2023. Under the Amendment 1 to the Operational Plan, the EUAA focused on the provision of structural support to improve reception conditions in reviewing and developing reception management workflows and guidance on vulnerability. The aim was to ensure a harmonized approach for standard operating procedures and protocols employed by the Austrian authorities, while using applicable EUAA tools and guidance where relevant. 

In the area of reception, EUAA also maintained frontline support - with activities planned as follows: 

1. Support to the planning and implementation of vulnerability related activities; 

2. Support to enhance access to relevant funding mechanisms; 

3. Continued support in training; 

4. Continued provision of interpretation services. 

On 13 March 2024, Amendment 2 to the Operational Plan was signed by the Agency and the Austrian Authorities, reducing the implementation period until the end of June 2024, when operational activities were successfully concluded, meeting agreed objectives. 

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