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
Poland Flag Poland 2023 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Department of Refugee Proceedings at the Office of Foreigners was re-organised according to the type of procedure to which cases are assigned. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Poland Flag Poland 2023 Policy Content of protection Content of protection New centres for the integration of refugees opened as part of the project “Building structures for the integration of foreigners in Poland”. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance As a matter of policy, women and girls from Afghanistan can be granted asylum based on their gender as victims of discriminatory legislation, following an individual examination of the case. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2023 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Federal Council repealed the COVID-19 ordinance on 15 December 2023, thus for accelerated procedures the expanded appeal time limit resumed from 30 days to 7 working days and for interim rulings from 10 to 5 working days. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2023 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The government approved a new quota for 2024-2025 that can be activated only after consultations with the cantons and the municipalities, and based on availability in the reception system. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2023 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) suspended the national resettlement programme as of April 2023 due to pressure on the asylum system and lack of housing. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Sweden Flag Sweden 2023 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The Swedish Ministry of Justice initiated a review to amend the requirements for public counsels who are legal aid providers in matters related to the mandate of the Swedish Migration Agency (SMA). EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Sweden Flag Sweden 2023 Legislative Country of origin information Country of origin information A new legal position was published on the protection needs of nationals from Yemen. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Sweden Flag Sweden 2023 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups A new policy on age assessments from May 2023 indicates that MRI pictures of a knee joint can be only made in one location. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Sweden Flag Sweden 2023 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The authorities considerably reduced its annual quote for resettlements for 2023 and pledged to receive 900 refugees. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Sweden Flag Sweden 2023 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions Sweden pledged to receive 100 people over a 2-year period under humanitarian admissions. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Sweden Flag Sweden 2023 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum A new legal position was published on statelessness. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Sweden Flag Sweden 2023 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The authorities introduced integration criteria for the assessment of cases within resettlement. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Sweden Flag Sweden 2023 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency suspended enforcement to Sudan. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Sweden Flag Sweden 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A commission appointed by the government recommended the introduction of competence requirements for interpreters and translators working in migration matters, provided that certain requirements are met. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Sweden Flag Sweden 2023 Policy Access to information Access to information As of October 2023, expanded services of the Swedish Migration Agency are available in more service offices. These offices are administrated by the state and provide information from several government agencies in one place. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Sweden Flag Sweden 2023 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position and clarified that the need for a new personal interview before the decision on revocation must be decided individually. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Spain Flag Spain 2023 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Authorities continued to work to increase reception capacity under the network of reception centres under the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration (centres for international protection, centros de acogida de proteccion internacional, CAPI). Several humanitarian assistance centres were opened throughout 2023, and works started for the operalisation of more centres in 2024. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Spain Flag Spain 2023 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The Spanish government committed to receive 3,400 people under humanitarian admission programmes for 2024 and 2025, in addition to the yearly quota of 1,200 places under resettlement programmes. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Spain Flag Spain 2023 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance By Royal Decree No 1009/2023 of 5 December 2023, the structure of the new Directorate-General for International Protection was established. It will include the Asylum and Refugee Office. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Spain Flag Spain 2023 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A new asylum database was deployed in 2023, which is also applicable for Dublin cases, and in 2024 the unit plans to adapt the Dublin forms for it. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Spain Flag Spain 2023 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Spanish Secretary of State for Migration and UNHCR announced the extension of the action protocol on gender-based violence to humanitarian reception centres and temporary reception centres (CETI) in Ceuta and Melilla. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Spain Flag Spain 2023 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Spanish State Secretary for Migration signed an agreement with the group of companies Tragsa and other third sector entities to facilitate access to the labour market for migrants arriving mainly from Central and South America, with job offers mainly sent to beneficiaries of international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Spain Flag Spain 2023 Institutional Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Spanish Directorate General responsible for reception changed its name to the General Directorate for the Management of International and Temporary Protection Reception Systems (DGGSAPIT) to reflect its responsibility for managing reception centres for persons with temporary protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Spain Flag Spain 2023 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new regulation was adopted on sanctions for breaching the house rules in reception facilities. EUAA Asylum Report 2024