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National Asylum Developments Database

 

The National Asylum Developments Database presents legislative, institutional and policy developments related to asylum since 2018.

Searches can be narrowed down by:

  • Country
  • Year
  • Type of development: legislative, institutional or policy 
  • Thematic area: access to procedure, access to information, legal assistance and representation, interpretation services, special procedures, procedures at first instance, reception of applicants for international protection, detention, procedures at second instance, country of origin information, statelessness in the asylum context, content of protection, return of former applicants, resettlement and humanitarian admission programmes.

Details on each development and further analysis can be consulted in the Asylum Report series.
 

Types of policies and practices reported in the National Asylum Developments Database

The National Asylum Developments Database can be searched by institutional, legislative and policy changes. There are three types of policy developments:

Policies and practices related to the integrity of national asylum systems aim to swiftly identify unfounded asylum applications and ensure that financial, human and administrative resources are not dissipated on such claims. These measures involve efforts to rapidly establish an applicant’s identity, including age, country of origin, travel route and security concerns if any. These facts help to better assess the credibility of the applicant’s statements and determine whether beneficiaries of international protection are still in need of protection. The prevention of unintentional misuse of the asylum procedure and its integrity are also supported by the provision of information to asylum applicants and beneficiaries of international protection on their respective rights and obligations and related procedural arrangements.

Policies and practices that improve the efficiency of national asylum systems include digitalisation and the use of new technologies in the framework of asylum, prioritising or fast-tracking applications, the re-organisation of the procedure itself or implementing changes in the number of staff employed.

Policy and practice aiming to enhance the quality of national asylum systems contribute to increasing fairness, integrity and efficiency. Quality assurance systems, guidance materials and capacity-building measures typically pay off on the initial investment and efforts. The initiatives include staff training, revising existing guidance materials and monitoring the quality of the decisions delivered.

The database presents validated factual information and does not imply any endorsement from the European Commission or EUAA.

Flag Country Year Absteigend sortieren Type of development Thematic area Development Source
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The list of circumstances in which protection against refoulement applies was extended. In addition to cases where a foreigner is at risk of being subjected to torture in the country of origin, the list includes cases where a person may be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment and where there is a risk of a violation of the right to respect for private and family life. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2020 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A draft law would modify the remedy system available for the The Dublin procedure to ensure the efficiency of the procedure, while keeping legal guarantees at the maximum level. It would modify and align the time limits and methods of appeal. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Germany Flag Germany 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The Act on Tolerated Status related to Education and Employment of 8 July 2019 entered into force on 1 January 2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Children's protective custody was abolished. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Hungary Flag Hungary 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Under Asylum Law, Article 15, the threshold to exclude a person from subsidiary protection became lower: instead of violating national security, it is enough if the person's stay in the country endangers national security. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Austria Flag Austria 2020 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The scope of the term family was widened. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2020 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Law on Asylum and Refugees was amended to address shortcomings in the identification, legal representation and age assessment procedure for unaccompanied children. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Estonia Flag Estonia 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The amendment of the Act on Granting International Protection to Aliens allows the PBGB to request assistance from EASO and to be involved in the processing of an asylum application in the territory of another state, based on an international agreement or an EU act. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection One-year-old children in reception centres were included in the financing scheme of free, full-time care in kindergarten. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position on the situation in the Tigray region in Ethiopia. (The legal position was repealed in 2021 and is no longer in force.) EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Swedish Migration Agency published a new legal position on the examination of the best interests of the child. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The Greek Asylum Service launched a call to extend the Register of Lawyers providing legal aid to applicants for international protection EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The State Secretary for Justice and Security presented a toolbox on dealing locally with disruptive or criminal applicants. The toolbox presents 70 measures which provide support in different areas. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Minister of State with special responsibility for Equality, Immigration and Integration announced EUR 500,000 for community integration projects under the Communities Integration Fund. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new governmental project is planned to be implemented in 2021, obliging applicants to attend a 1-day information session about the host society. The programme has existed for several years, but it was implemented as a voluntary 2- to 3-hour session. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A 3-year project providing psychosocial support for people residing in reception centres, conducted by the Croatian Red Cross and co-financed by AMIF, was started in February 2020. The project aims to improve the level of psychosocial support and social activities available in the reception centres. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2020 Institutional Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection On 1 January 2020, the National Reception Office (ONA), which is under the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, replaced the Luxembourg Office for Reception and Integration (OLAI) for the reception of asylum applications. The responsibility for integration was transferred to the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region under the Department for Integration. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Poland Flag Poland 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Polish government announced the introduction of a humanitarian visa scheme for Belarusians from mid-August 2020 onwards. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Finland Flag Finland 2020 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy commissioned a joint study on the community sponsorship model to evaluate its feasibility within the Finnish context. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Further guidance was added on how to interpret the element political conviction: it is clarified that the applicant cannot be expected to exercise restraint on his/her fundamental political views, which may be actions or expressions that are particularly important for the person's identity or moral integrity. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Poland Flag Poland 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Humanitarian visa holders are permitted to work without a work permit since 1 December 2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection An amendment to Ordinance 2 on asylum settled the funding of security costs of federal reception centres when they are temporarily closed. The confederation pays a lump sum for a year, even when the centre is closed. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants If the period of validity of a return order made in respect of a person whose application for international protection is determined to be inadmissible expires and the person has not been returned, it will be assumed that the person would like to apply for international protection, which will be notified in writing with an invitation to complete the form. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Legislative Decree No 130/2020 created a special 2-year permit based on respect of the non-refoulement principle. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2020 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants An amendment clarified that a return decision cannot be issued pending the examination of an application for international protection. EASO Asylum Report 2021