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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 Sort descending Thematic area Development Source
Ireland Flag Ireland 2019 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions A new phase of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) was announced by the Department of Justice and Equality. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Netherlands and Belgium concluded an agreement to replace PCR tests by a quarantine before departure. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The National Strategy on Migration was adopted for the period 2021-2025. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Denmark Flag Denmark 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Refugee Board suspended appeals when the situation in Afghanistan was critical but continued to address other aspects, such as age assessments and Dublin transfers. The processing of cases was resumed in December 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
France Flag France 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The minister responsible for citizenship issued a circular to define priorities for the integration of newly-arrived migrants and beneficiaries of international protection for 2021. The circular confirmed that the focus remains on integration through employment. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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 assessment of applications from Afghan citizens, based on revised country of origin information. The security situation was assessed to be largely unchanged and the legal position includes slight adjustments. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Ministry for Migration and Asylum established a National Mechanism for the Detection and Protection of Unaccompanied Children, in cooperation with the IOM, Aris, METAdrasi and the Network for Children’s Rights. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Legal position on the application of ECHR, Article 3, when illness is invoked. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The prioritisation procedure was updated, which re-confirmed that asylum interviews for unaccompanied minor applicants can be scheduled with priority. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The reception centres have started using the electronic skills assessment form, which was developed as part of the AMIF-funded OSAKA project and which finalised in 2019. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs 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
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
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The budget was increased for the Directorate of Immigration for translation and interpretation by 2.8%, while in practice it spent 32% more for these purposes in 2021 compared to 2020. The costs allocated to the National Reception Office (ONA) for experts, studies and translations decreased by 38%. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The employment policy was amended so applicants from a safe country of origin or in the Dublin procedure can access the labour market after 9 months from the lodging of their application for international protection, while other applicants are able to work legally as soon as their asylum application is confirmed. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Country of origin information Country of origin information Country of origin reports were made publicly available. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Poland Flag Poland 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A special centre for single women and single mothers, operated by a contractor, was closed. The authorities were planning to construct a new, state-owned centre for women with AMIF funding. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Spain Flag Spain 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Following new instructions, only recognised beneficiaries of international protection can be referred to the second phase of the national reception system. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Sweden amended and issued legal positions on returns, addressing practical obstacles (RS/048/2021) and the immediate enforcement of a return to the home country including safe countries of origin (RS/071/2021). EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The SEM underlined that addressing the issue of violence against women would remain a priority in 2021 and the authority planned to hold information and training sessions for asylum and reception staff to raise awareness of all forms of violence against women. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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