|
Bulgaria |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Statelessness in the context of asylum |
An amendment to the Law on Foreigners stated that stateless persons who do not meet the requirements for permanent or long-term residence may obtain permission for a one-year prolonged stay. |
BG LEG 01 2019 |
|
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 |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The Flemish family allowance system was reformed and transformed into a so-called Growth Package (Groeipakket), whereby every child in Flanders is entitled to the allowance as of 1 January 2019, including minor applicants in the second reception phase. |
BE LEG 02 2019 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
A law proposal was put forth to reduce the period of exemption for beneficiaries of international protection from the requirement to have sufficient economic resources from one year to three months. |
BE LEG 01 2019 |
|
Austria |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Country of origin information |
Sri Lanka was removed from the list of countries considered to be safe countries of origin due to the reintroduction of capital punishment. |
AT LEG 06 2019 |
|
Austria |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Country of origin information |
Namibia, the Republic of Korea and Uruguay were added to the list of countries considered to be safe countries of origin. |
AT LEG 05 2019 |
|
Austria |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
An amendment to the Integration Act requires the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs to provide German courses to a minimum B1 level to beneficiaries of international protection older than 15 years. |
AT LEG 04 2019 |
|
Austria |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Return of former applicants |
The act grants a postponement of the time limit for voluntary departure to rejected applicants who are in an apprenticeship. |
AT LEG 03 2019 |
|
Austria |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The act establishes the Federal Agency for Care and Support Services. |
AT LEG 02 2019 |
|
Austria |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The federal government and the provinces concluded an agreement to harmonise the child and youth welfare system in general, defining the responsibilities of the provinces in providing care and support to unaccompanied minors. |
AT LEG 01 2019 |
|
Lithuania |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
A new ground was added to withdraw subsidiary protection: when there is a serious ground that the person’s stay in the country would represent a threat to national security or the community. |
LT LEG 01 2019 |
|
Lithuania |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
A separate decision in writing on issuing or renewing a foreigner’s registration certificate is no longer required. |
LT LEG 01 2019 |
|
Lithuania |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
No separate justification in the Migration Department’s decision is required when extending the period for examination of an application (up to six months). |
LT LEG 01 2019 |
|
Italy |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
A new security decree adopted by the Council of Ministers stated that boats suspected of facilitating irregular migration may be refused entry into Italian ports and boats violating the ban could face substantial fines and be seized by the authorities. |
IT LEG 01 2019 |
|
Greece |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
The new law provides new time limits to submit appeals, schedule hearings on appeal depending on the day of the submission of an appeal, and issue appeals decisions. It provides for the suspensive effect of appeals for deportation, readmission and return procedures. |
EL LEG 05 2019 |
|
Greece |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
The length of residence permits for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection was decreased to one year (from three years), renewable for two years. |
EL LEG 05 2019 |
|
Greece |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
The new law requires beneficiaries of international protection to leave the reception facility two months from recognition instead of the previously-applicable six months, at which point social welfare support would also cease. |
EL LEG 05 2019 |
|
Greece |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Social Solidarity in Greece issued several ministerial decisions throughout the year related to the registry of professional guardianship, guardian selection criteria, training and the procedures for the assessment and determination of the best interests of the child. |
EL LEG 06 2019, EL LEG 07 2019, EL LEG 08 2019, EL LEG 09 2019 |
|
Hungary |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
Government Decree 277/2018 (XII. 21.) entered into force, modifying Government Decree 114/2007 (V. 24.), which clarified the types of administrative actions that the Aliens Police can carry out in the absence of a legal guardian when the applicant is an unaccompanied minor. |
HU LEG 01 2019 |
|
Hungary |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Hungarian Government extended the time limit of Government Decree 41/2016 (III. 9.) stating that there was a continued state of crisis caused by mass migration. |
HU LEG 02 2019 |
|
Hungary |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Detention during the asylum procedure |
An amendment entered into force which added new criteria for compulsory confinement of third country nationals under the Aliens Policing Procedure. |
HU LEG 03 2019 |
|
Ireland |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Return of former applicants |
Section 3(1) of the Immigration Act 1999 was amended to confirm that the Minister’s power to make a deportation order is subject to the prohibition of refoulement set out in the Immigration Act 1999, Section 3A. The Minister for Justice and Equality clarified that this legal amendment corrected a gap in the law. |
IE LEG 01 2019 |
|
Lithuania |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Detention during the asylum procedure |
Non-cooperation with authorities during the asylum application became a ground for detention. |
LT LEG 01 2019 |
|
Lithuania |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Migration Department may take joint decisions on asylum applicants of the same family (previously they were always taken jointly), provided that a joint decision does not disclose personal circumstances of an applicant which could pose a threat to best interests. |
LT LEG 01 2019 |
|
Lithuania |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
The Migration Department took over some tasks from the police and, for example, applicants can now lodge an application directly with the institution rather than the police. The initial interview with the applicant is obligatorily recorded (video or audio) and attached to the personal file. The department can now also issue a Certificate of Acceptance of an Application for Asylum, confirming an applicant’s status and serving as a Foreigners’ Registration Certificate, pending the issuance of the latter. |
LT LEG 01 2019 |