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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 Type of development Thematic area Development Source
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Migration Department used a questionnaire to screen citizens of Belarus and Russia on their attitudes on the war in Ukraine and information on former employers and service to identify possible threats to state security and cases in which exclusion clauses would be applicable. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2023 Legislative Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation Following legislative amendments, the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, or an institution authorised by it, will replace the Migration Department in the organisation of state-guaranteed legal aid for third-country nationals. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2023 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Amendments revising detention provisions came into force in Lithuania at the end of 2023, including a new alternative to detention which allows a person to leave the assigned accommodation only with the permission of the head of facility. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2023 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A legislative amendment established that the process to appeal the decision on accommodation must be done within 14 days before the district court. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2023 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A legislative amendment stipulates that the decision for an applicant’s accommodation must be made by the Migration Department. Applicants must be accommodated without their freedom of movement restricted, if certain conditions are met. When assessing restrictions on the freedom of movement, the authorities must also assess the applicant’s age, health, family situation and other relevant circumstances. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2023 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Draft amendments were approved by the government to establish an agency on the basis of the Refugee Reception Centre which will be in charge of the reception of and support for applicants, an entity under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2023 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The Lithuanian parliament adopted amendments which allow border guards to return migrants who cross into Lithuania irregularly during a state of emergency. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2023 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Lithuania maintained the state of emergency along the border with Belarus as it continued to face challenges with migrants attempting to enter the country. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Latvia Flag Latvia 2023 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new reception centre was opened in Alūksne, with a capacity of 252 places for single people. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Latvia Flag Latvia 2023 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance A new local court was afforded the competence to receive asylum appeals. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Latvia Flag Latvia 2023 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure A new law provides the Cabinet of Ministers with the authority to declare a situation of emergency when it considers that there is a disproportionately high number of cases of illegal or attempted crossings of the state border. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Italy Flag Italy 2023 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Italy and Albania concluded a protocol on strengthening cooperation in migration matters. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Italy Flag Italy 2023 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure A state of emergency was introduced due to the increased number of arrivals. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Italy Flag Italy 2023 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The penalty for human trafficking was increased and a new crime of “death or injury as a consequence of crimes in the field of illegal immigration” was introduced. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Italy Flag Italy 2023 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Law No 50/2023 allows for the accelerated processing of applications at the border or transit zones for applicants coming from safe third countries or who attempted to evade border checks. These applicants may also be detained at the border. The authorities must decide on their application within 7 days. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Italy Flag Italy 2023 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Côte d’Ivoire, Georgia, Nigeria and The Gambia were added to the list of safe third countries by Decree of 17 March 2023. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Italy Flag Italy 2023 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Amendments specified that a subsequent application may only be considered admissible if external circumstances prevented the applicant from submitting new elements earlier. The applicant must explain and prove the reasons for the delay. The suspensive effect of an appeal is no longer automatic when a first subsequent application has been considered as inadmissible or a negative decision was issued on the merits. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Italy Flag Italy 2023 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Law No 50/2003 introduced the possibility to address staff shortages in the determining authority by using officers of the local prefecture. The law requires new staff to be adequately trained. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Italy Flag Italy 2023 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Law No 50/2023 provided that, before filing an appeal, lawyers may access the video recording of the applicant’s hearing before the Territorial Commission. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Italy Flag Italy 2023 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Law No 50/2023 provided that for appeals registered before 31 December 2021 and still pending, a motion may be presented by the lawyer to prioritise the assessment of the right to special protection before the assessment of the right to international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Italy Flag Italy 2023 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The criteria to redistribute applicants among Italian regions was revised. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Italy Flag Italy 2023 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Law No 50/2023 allows for the derogation of certain laws to facilitate the opening and operating of hotspots and government reception centres. It also allows the Italian Red Cross to manage the Lampedusa hotspot. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Italy Flag Italy 2023 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Law No 50/2023 foresees that, to alleviate pressure on hotspots, foreigners can be transferred to similar facilities on the national territory to undergo identification and registration. When government reception centres are full, the prefect may identify temporary reception facilities. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Italy Flag Italy 2023 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Amendments specified that a short-term return to the country of origin is enough for the cessation of international protection status, unless the travel takes place for serious and proven reasons for strictly the necessary period. An additional ground for withdrawing international protection was added, when the beneficiary for international protection submits an application for another type of permit. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Italy Flag Italy 2023 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors turning 18 are now issued a residence permit with a maximum duration of 1 year. EUAA Asylum Report 2024