|
Bulgaria |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
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 |
|
France |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The Ministry of the Interior published an instruction in April 2022 requesting the prefects to harmonise practices related to victims who were trafficked for sexual exploitation. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Italy |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
A working group was established to better coordinate mechanisms for the identification of and support to applicants with special needs and vulnerabilities. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Croatia |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
Standard Operating Procedures were drafted to improve the coordination of family reunification for unaccompanied children in the framework of the The Dublin procedure. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Italy |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The Ministry of the Interior’s Department of Civil Liberties and Migration issued a circular to disseminate an operational guide on the specific needs of women and girls in reception to first-contact reception staff. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Italy |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
A new national coordination board dedicated to unaccompanied children was established, with its first meeting foreseen for spring 2022. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Germany |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
BAMF published a methodology for the identification of vulnerable applicants. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Germany |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
BAMF reviewed and clarified its internal instructions regarding procedures involving LGBTIQ applicants. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Italy |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The Ministry of the Interior signed agreements with UNICEF to monitor reception conditions for unaccompanied children, with Terre des Hommes for psychological and psychosocial assistance from disembarkation to first reception, and with Save the Children for the provision of targeted support to unaccompanied children. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Greece |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The Reception and Identification Service (RIS) created and deployed a team of case management assistants for reception facilities under its responsibility throughout Greece to ensure the identification of needs, referral and follow-up for all persons residing in reception facilities. A standard operating procedure was drafted to create a harmonised system for case management in first- and second-line reception. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
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 |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
In cooperation with UNHCR and the IOM, the Austrian Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (BFA) organised regularly training sessions for its staff on identifying special needs and vulnerabilities, interviewing applicants with special needs, and tailoring approaches to specific groups, such as women, children, LGBTIQ applicants and survivors of trafficking in the asylum procedure. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Italy |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The Department of Civil Liberties and Migration published an operational handbook on the identification and reception of unaccompanied children. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Italy |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
UNHCR and the Italian National Commission for Asylum published new guidelines for the identification of victims of trafficking in an effort to standardise the procedure across territorial commissions. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Slovenia |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
New national action plans were adopted for combating trafficking in human beings. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Bulgaria |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The State Agency for Refugees started to apply EASO standards to identify vulnerable applicants, and it established two safe zones for unaccompanied children in the reception centre in Sofia, which are operated by the IOM. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Slovakia |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
A resolution was adopted to outline the national action plans for combating trafficking in human beings, according to the 2020 recommendations from GRETA. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Slovakia |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The Migration Office updated its internal instrument used for the identification of special needs and vulnerabilities, by finetuning the procedures for completing an applicant’s social file and by strengthening cooperation among the various actors involved. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position on the implementation of decisions related to unaccompanied children. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The Swedish Migration Agency published a new legal position on interviewing children. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Netherlands |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The Netherlands Forensic Institute changed its practice based on a recent literature review, and since October 2022, applicants with a mature collarbone are considered to be at least 18 years old, instead of 20 years. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Netherlands |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
As a one-time action, the care for unaccompanied children who were at least 17.5 years on 1 July 2022 was taken over by the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) from Nidos, and the minors were accommodated in regular reception places instead of ones dedicated to minors. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Netherlands |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
New, simplified information material was prepared for illiterate persons and persons who cannot read and write in the Latin alphabet. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Netherlands |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
As a temporary measure, prolonged until September 2023, unaccompanied minors aged 17 years and 9 months and older were placed in regular asylum reception centres (azc), without special support since November 2022. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
France |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
A draft law on child protection was adopted by the National Assembly and by the Senate. The draft includes several provisions relevant to unaccompanied children. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |