|
Lithuania |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Legal assistance and representation |
Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens clarified the scope of free legal assistance as covering solely asylum procedures at the national level and thus excluding cases submitted before European courts. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Slovakia |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Legal assistance and representation |
A draft amendment to the Asylum Act and other related acts was adopted and put to public consultation, listing services available to asylum applicants. The amendments are expected to enter into force in June 2022. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Spain |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
A Royal Decree was introduced to facilitate the process of granting residence and work permits for unaccompanied children in Spain. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Belgium |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
CALL launched a digital tool on 1 March 2022, entitled J-BOX, to exchange procedural documents electronically instead of using registered mail. The use of the tool became mandatory in appeals for accelerated and urgent measures. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Estonia |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The new Victim Support Act entered into force, which aims to further improve the availability and quality of victim support services, for example for victims of human trafficking. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Netherlands |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
Further clarifications were provided for the assessment of family reunification for beneficiaries of international protection. For example, the fact that the family members were not named during the asylum procedure is not in itself a ground to reject family reunification, but it can be taken into account when assessing the actual family link. For foster children, the biological parents' identity and the foster parent's family link to the biological parents always need to be clarified. When the biological parents are still present, the link between a foster child and foster parents can only be recognised for family reunification under very exceptional circumstances. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Germany |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
The legal framework on social benefits was revised for German nationals and beneficiaries of international protection. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
The Swedish Parliament adopted the government's proposal from December 2020 to incorporate the rules on safe countries of origin in the Aliens Act. The new rules allow the Swedish Migration Agency to consider an application manifestly unfounded if the applicant comes from a country included in the list. The amendments enter into force on 1 May 2021. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Italy |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
The Dublin procedure |
A new circular clarifying the connection between an application for a special protection permit (a national form of protection) and the Dublin procedure was published. It states that an application for special protection should be deemed inadmissible if the applicant has also applied for international protection and is involved in a pending Dublin procedure. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Luxembourg |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Detention during the asylum procedure |
A bill proposed the introduction of non-negligible risk of absconding as a reason for detention, specifying in what cases this risk is presumed. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Italy |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The income and family support measures provided in the Cura Italia Decree, including a EUR 600 allowance, babysitting allowance and COVID-19 special leave, were made accessible to applicants in employment. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Portugal |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The Asylum Act was amended to allow applicants for international protection to work from the day they submit their application and receive related support. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Lithuania |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
Applications in the accelerated procedure are processed within 10 days. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Spain |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
Spain’s Council of Ministers adopted a draft bill on trafficking and exploitation which focuses on prevention, assistance and the protection of victims by guaranteeing a series of rights and support measures. A national referral mechanism for potential trafficking victims will also be created. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Luxembourg |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
A new regulation sets out the operation and work process of the interdisciplinary commission to evaluate the best interests of unaccompanied minors in a return decision. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Greece |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
The implementation of the rules on the exceptional border procedure - which applies to third-country nationals in Reception and Identification Centres in Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos - were extended until 31 December 2021. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Greece |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Detention during the asylum procedure |
The concept of closed controlled island structures (KEDN) was clarified. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Hungary |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The definition of a particular social group changed under Asylum Law, Article 64(1d): before the two elements (common characteristics, distinct identity in the relevant country) were alternative, divided by an or, now and and links them and the two elements are cumulative. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Belgium |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
The new Royal Decree establishing the list of safe countries of origin entered into force. The list itself includes the same countries. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Croatia |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
Amendments to the Aliens Act extended the scope of persons who can receive a temporary resedence permit on humanitarian grounds. These persons have the right to work without an additional work permit or authorisation, to attend vocational training and enrol in education. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Estonia |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The PBGB may now publish the application number and the title of the decision on its website and do not notify the decision in another manner when the applicant's location is unknown or when there is an emergency situation. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Netherlands |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
An amendment to the Aliens Decree (Vb) established the possibility to omit the personal interview in subsequent applications. |
NL LEG 06 2019 |
|
Germany |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Return of former applicants |
A new category for tolerated stay (Duldung) was created for persons whose removal cannot be carried out due to ambiguities in their identity which they created, for example by not handing over the necessary travel documents or by misleading the authorities concerning their identity and nationality. These persons are subject to the residence obligation (Wohnsitzauflage) and do not have the right to undertake gainful employment. |
DE LEG 03 2019 |
|
Greece |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
Decision on the procedure for issuing travel documents to refugee beneficiaries. |
EL LEG 01 2019 |
|
Italy |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
Within the Protection System for Beneficiaries of International Protection and Unaccompanied Foreign Minors (SIPROIMI), the Ministry of the Interior in Italy allocated funds to finance projects, organised by local authorities, related to unaccompanied minors. |
IT LEG 04 2019 |